Golden Knights Announce Facility Closed After Positive COVID Test Among Coaching Staff

The Vegas Golden Knights are closing their facilities today after at least one of their coaches tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

The team did go forward with their game against St. Louis on Tuesday night, falling 5-4 in a shootout. None of their regular coaches were on the bench for the game.

Vegas currently sits at 5-1-1 with 11 points thus far in the standings. The club’s AHL coaching staff will take over for the regular coaches for the time being.

“It’s not a case where the entire staff tested positive,” Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said after Tuesday’s game.

“Most didn’t, frankly. … We’re fortunate there’s been no positive tests for players.”

The team released a statement prior to Tuesday’s game saying that all the of the coaches are being kept away from the team.

The club did not disclose what coach may have tested positive.

A couple other teams in the NHL have already had to cancel games due to the COVID virus, including the Dallas Stars and Carolina Hurricanes.

The Knights are scheduled to take on St. Louis again Thursday night at home, and then they are scheduled to fly to Arizona to play San Jose, as the Sharks are playing their home affairs in Arizona due to health restrictions in California.

It sounds like McCrimmon will serve as the club’s head coach until the regular staff is cleared to return.

“Crimmer’s coached before, we had the (coaches) from Henderson come up, they know what they’re doing, too. So we didn’t know what the plan was originally, but it worked out fine,” Vegas Alex Pietrangelo said after the shootout loss.