Sharks’ COVID list grows, equipment manager added
No Sharks players were added or subtracted from the NHL’s COVID-19 list over the last two days but equipment manager Mike Aldrich joined a list of team staff members who are now in the league’s coronavirus protocol.
Aldrich joined coach Bob Boughner and head athletic trainer Ray Tufts as non-playing members of the team who have to remain in isolation away from the club. The players still on the COVID list are forwards Kevin Labanc, Timo Meier, and Matt Nieto, and defensemen Erik Karlsson, Jake Middleton, Radim Simek, and MarcEdouard Vlasic.
The Sharks said in early October that all players were fully vaccinated. The NHL requires that all coaches and support staff be vaccinated, as well.
Aldrich was added to the list late Tuesday and was not near the Sharks’ bench for the team’s 5-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
According to NHL rules for this season, symptomatic individuals who test positive must isolate from the team for at least 10 days and need a doctor’s approval to return once symptoms have disappeared. Some Sharks players are symptomatic, but the Sharks are not releasing the names of those individuals.
If no players in the protocol can return to the lineup by Saturday’s game against New Jersey, there is some optimism within the organization that they can rejoin the team sometime near the start of their road trip next week. The Sharks play in Calgary on Tuesday and Winnipeg on Thursday.
— Curtis Pashelka
NBA
FIRM WILL PROBE SUNS AFTER ALLEGATIONS >> The NBA has asked a law firm to investigate the Phoenix Suns
after a published report on Thursday detailed allegations that owner Robert Sarver has a history of racist, misogynistic and hostile incidents during his 17-year tenure in charge of the franchise.
ESPN said it talked to dozens of current and former team employees for the story, including some who detailed inappropriate behavior by Sarver. Most of the allegations are from anonymous sources but a few are on the record.
In ESPN’s report, Sarver denied or disputed most of the allegations through his legal team. The Suns also strongly denied the report in a lengthy statement released Thursday.
The NBA released its own statement from executive vice president of communications Mike Bass saying the allegations were “extremely serious” and that the league has asked the Wachtell Lipton law firm to “commence a comprehensive investigation.”
Among the allegations: Former Suns coach Earl Watson said Sarver was upset that Golden State forward Draymond Green used the N-word during a game in 2016 and that the owner repeated the N-word several times when voicing his displeasure. Watson said he told Sarver that he can’t use that word.
Watson was the Suns’ coach for all or part of three seasons before being fired three games into the 201718 season.
Sarver said in his statement that Watson was “clearly not a credible source.”
“While there is so much that is inaccurate and misleading in this story that I hardly know where to begin, let me be clear: The n-word is not part of my vocabulary,” Sarver said.
The report also details a story about how Sarver passed around a picture of his wife in a Suns bikini to employees. The report says more than a dozen employees also said Sarver had a history of “making lewd comments in all-staff meetings.” SETH CURRY LEADS 76ERS >> Seth Curry scored 23 points, Tyrese Maxey added 20 as short-handed Philadelphia beat Detroit 109-98.
Joel Embiid had 19 points and nine rebounds for Philadelphia. Playing for the second straight night, the 76ers used only eight players. Furkan Korkmaz (wrist) sat out, while former Pistons forward Tobias Harris remained sidelined due to COVID-19 protocols.
Golf
WOLFF SHOOTS CAREER LOW >> Matthew Wolff ripped off a 10-under 61 to match his career low on the PGA Tour. It gave him a two-shot lead among early starters in the World Wide Technology Championship in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
No one started better than Chris Kirk, who opened with a 6-iron on the par-3 10th that he couldn’t find until realizing it was in the cup for a hole-in-one. Sergio Garcia and Talor Gooch had the low scores and joined Kirk and Billy Horschel at 64.