Blues' Binnington Placed in COVID-19 Protocols

The NHL's COVID-19 protocols list continues to fill up. 

The St. Louis Blues announced on Thursday morning that goaltender Jordan Binnington has entered into league protocols, marking the third player of the day to hit the NHL's COVID-19 list before the clock strikes noon. 

Binnington is also the second Blues player to enter protocols this week, with forward Tyler Bozak being out since Nov. 30 for COVID-related reasons, as well. 

In a corresponding move, the Blues recalled goaltender Charlie Lindgren from AHL Springfield. 

The news is only getting worse in the NHL's fight against this horrible virus. 

The league has already had to postpone two teams' games this very month, with the Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders having their seasons placed on temporary pauses in November as COVID-19 ripped through their respective rooms. 

This week alone, Edmonton's Cody Ceci, Boston coach Bruce Cassidy, Carolina's Tony DeAngelo, Brett Pesce, and Ethan Bear, Detroit's Tyler Bertuzzi, and Montreal's Brendan Gallagher and Sami Niku have all been removed from their teams in accordance with the NHL's COVID-19 policies. 

The virus is very clearly still a serious problem. And with the NHL schedule already condensed as it is, more postponements pose a significant threat to the league's plans to send its players to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in February. 

The NHL has until Jan. 10 to decide whether it will opt-out of Olympic participation. With each new case, the likelihood that they will grows larger.