Senators-Kraken game postponed due to Ottawa's COVID-19 issues

The Ottawa Senators fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-0 on Saturday and won't be back in action anytime soon. 

According to NHL's website and The Associated Press (h/t ESPN), Ottawa's game at the Seattle Kraken scheduled for Thursday has been postponed because of COVID-19 issues impacting the Senators. Previously, the Senators had a matchup at the Minnesota Wild originally set to occur Monday scrapped due to virus-related setbacks. 

In total, Ottawa defensemen Jacob Bernard-Docker, Dillon Heatherington, and Thomas Chabot are in the league's COVID-19 protocol, along with forwards Josh Norris, Tyler Ennis, Nick Paul, Zach Sanford and Chris Tierney. Assistant Bob Woods is also unavailable due to the protocol. 

As of Monday afternoon, it's unknown if the Senators will be able to play at the Vancouver Canucks this coming Saturday evening as scheduled. Seattle, meanwhile, will remain off until a matchup at the Colorado Avalanche set for next Monday (Jan. 10). 

Thursday's contest is the 92nd NHL game of the 2021-22 season postponed either because of COVID-19 cases impacting a roster or due to attendance restrictions in Canada linked with the ongoing pandemic.