Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon misses practice due to COVID protocol

If you thought the COVID protocol-related absences list was a thing of the past, you might have jumped the gun. After both the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken announced key players were unavailable due to the protocol Monday, the Colorado Avalanche dropped a bomb Tuesday. Nathan MacKinnon will not practice, with the team announcing it is a protocol-related absence.

To reiterate, inclusion in the protocol does not mean that a player has tested positive for coronavirus or even been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the COVID protocol-related absences list — which actually won’t be released for the first time until Wednesday — are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol.

MacKinnon meanwhile is out indefinitely and could potentially miss the season opener if he is not cleared in time. The Avalanche recently were without head coach Jared Bednar after he tested positive, playing two preseason games without the bench boss. Hopefully, for Colorado’s sake, MacKinnon is not forced to miss even that much time.

In his absence, the Avalanche moved Nazem Kadri up to the first line, according to Peter Baugh of The Athletic, with J.T. Compher sliding into the second-line center spot.