Penguins cancel Saturday's practice due to potential coronavirus exposure
The Penguins canceled their practice and scrimmage at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday out of coronavirus-related concerns.
In a statement, the team indicated “the decision was made out of an abundance of caution due to potential exposure of covid-19.”
Saturday night, the team said it would announce an update as it pertains to its activities on Sunday at 8 a.m. Currently, a scrimmage is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Penguins are the third NHL team to have their training camp disrupted in some fashion by coronavirus concerns. On Friday, the Dallas Stars canceled practice after six players and two staffers tested positive, and the Columbus Blue Jackets held 17 players from participating from practice out of an abundance of caution.
The Penguins addressed the possibility of experiencing disruptions related to the pandemic on Friday.
“It’s crazy times we’re living in,” forward Bryan Rust said during a video conference with media. “We have to expect the inconvenience. There’s definitely going to be times throughout the year where things are affected by it. We’ve just got to expect that’s going to happen, and we have to take things as they come.”
The Penguins’ regular season is scheduled to open Wednesday with a regular season road game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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