The Avalanche is shutting down operations through Tuesday after after a third member of the franchise tested positive for COVID-19.

Following the third positive test, Colorado canceled its morning skate Friday ahead of the night’s scheduled game against the Kings at Ball Arena. The NHL later announced the Avs will be on hiatus through Tuesday, postponing three games.

Colorado was scheduled to complete a two-game set against the Kings on Sunday and play at St. Louis on Tuesday. The Kings will play next on Tuesday April 20, at home against the Ducks.

The @NHL announces @Avalanche games tonight vs. the @LAKings through April 20 are postponed. https://t.co/oAD6AAwDhD pic.twitter.com/60XsjZIfoT

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 16, 2021

Rookie defenseman Bo Byram and veteran goalie Philipp Grubauer are already on the NHL’s COVID protocol absence list and in isolation. The list will be updated Friday afternoon and if the latest positive test is a player, he will be added.

Byram tested positive April 8 and the Avs canceled their morning skate the next day at Honda Center. They went on to defeat the Ducks 2-0. Grubauer tested positive Tuesday and the Avs canceled their morning skate at St. Louis on Wednesday before defeating the Blues 4-3 at Enterprise Center.

Avalanche players and staff have been vaccinated this week. Coach Jared Bednar said some players have fallen ill because of the vaccine; forward Joonas Donskoi was scratched Wednesday because of it.

Colorado is among eight NHL teams with at least one player on the COVID protocol absence list. The Vancouver Canucks had nearly their entire team on the list in the past three weeks, forcing the club to shut down. They have not played a game since March 24. As a result, the NHL extended the regular season’s conclusion to May 16 so each of the seven North Division teams could complete all 56 games.

The regular season originally was to end May 8. There is no official start date for the playoffs.

“The NHL will continue to assess the progression of the regular season before announcing definitive dates for the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs,” the NHL said in a statement. “With the newly revised end date for the regular season for the North Division, it is possible that the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the East, Central and West Divisions could open a few days earlier than the North Division.”

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