Avalanche notebook: Nazem Kadri gets belated All-Star nod; update on COVID protocol
DENVER – Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri has his first NHL All-Star Game opportunity. He became the final member of the 2022 Central Division team by way of the “Last Men In” campaign fan voting.
As it stands, the Avalanche will send four representatives. Kadri is set to join teammates Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar and coach Jared Bednar at the All-Star Game on Feb. 5 in Las Vegas.
“It’s an honor, obviously, to be considered,” Kadri said Jan. 10. “This league has so many great players. Even our team.”
MacKinnon was named captain of the Central Division following a fan vote. Makar was on the portion of the divisional roster selected by the league’s Hockey Operations department.
Per Avalanche communications, Kadri was the top vote-getter in the entire contest. He had more than double the votes of the second-place Central Division finisher.
Kadri was fifth in league scoring Tuesday with 49 points (14 goals, 35 assists) in 33 games.
University of Denver product Troy Terry (Anaheim Ducks), Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Mika Zibanejad (New York Rangers) won the fan votes for their respective divisions. The NHL said Jake Guentzel (Pittsburgh Penguins), who finished second in the Metropolitan Division voting, would replace Zibanejad, “who cannot attend due to personal reasons.”
Players frequently bow out due to injuries or other concerns. The last time three Avalanche players participated in an All-Star Game was 2003-04 (Rob Blake, Joe Sakic and Alex Tanguay).
New testing procedures
The NHL and NHLPA announced Tuesday that there will be updates to the COVID protocol following a meeting of medical groups last week.
After Feb. 3, if criteria are met, fully vaccinated players and staff will not be tested during the All-Star break, “unless needed for travel or development of symptoms,” according to a release.
When club facilities are used again following the break, there will be a single test. There will then “no longer be asymptomatic testing,” or testing of close contacts who are fully vaccinated. Testing will occur in the fully vaccinated if symptoms arise or as required for international travel.
The league will continue with a five-day isolation period, which has been in effect for several weeks.
“A significant portion of Players appear to be exiting isolation after five days, with a lab-based PCR test that has a CT value >30,” the release stated.
No word
As of 7 p.m. Tuesday, the NHL Department of Player Safety had not announced a hearing or disciplinary action involving the Minnesota Wild’s Jordan Greenway, who made contact with Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper in a game Monday afternoon. Kuemper was pulled from the game by concussion spotters, according to Bednar, and didn’t return.
Bednar said after the game he hoped the league would take a look at the collision.
The Avalanche flew to California on Tuesday for a two-game road trip. There was no update on Kuemper.
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