Burns in COVID Protocol: “He feels fine.”

San Jose Sharks star Brent Burns has been placed in COVID protocol, retroactive to Dec. 17.

Burns did participate in practice that morning, indicating his positive test was flagged after practice:

#SJSharks getting ready for broomball pic.twitter.com/ukq0riAoMe

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) December 17, 2021

Bob Boughner confirmed today that indeed, Burns was flagged positive after practice and that morning’s testing.

Per the Mercury News, there were ten forwards and six defensemen on the ice for the San Jose Sharks’ practice this morning. This is the Sharks’ first practice since Dec. 17.

#SJSharks lines (FWIW)

Couture w/Dahlen, Meier
Hertl w/Gregor, Barabanov
Bonino w/Pederson, Gadjovich, Nieto

(Halbgewachs, Weatherby assigned to Barracuda)

— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) December 20, 2021

Forwards Jasper Weatherby and Jayden Halbgewachs, both waiver-exempt, were re-assigned to the San Jose Barracuda this morning. The Barracuda are scheduled to visit the Colorado Eagles this Tuesday and Wednesday.

Winger Andrew Cogliano was not on the ice too, but he has already been in COVID protocol this season.

Good news is, Burns’s positive doesn’t appear to be the flashpoint of another San Jose Sharks’ COVID outbreak.

In late October, nine Sharks players, including Cogliano, and multiple staff members, including head coach Bob Boughner, tested positive for COVID-19.

Per a San Jose Sharks spokesman, the entire team tested on Dec. 18, the day after Burns’s positive test.

As for Burns, he should be ready for the San Jose Sharks’ next scheduled contest on Dec. 27 in Anaheim. The Sharks’ previously-scheduled games on Dec. 21 against the Vancouver Canucks and Dec. 23 against the Edmonton Oilers were postponed yesterday.

“He feels fine. He feels good,” Boughner said this afternoon. “He rode his bike down here from home today to get tested. He’s still doing his thing.”

According to current league mandates, if Burns is asymptomatic, he can test out of protocol with consecutive negative tests 24 hours apart. If Burns is symptomatic, he will be required to quarantine for 10 days.

10 days from Dec. 17 should be a day before the Sharks are scheduled to take on the Ducks.