Goalie Marc-André Fleury enters the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols — and 2 more Chicago Blackhawks games are postponed

The Chicago Blackhawks placed starting goaltender Marc-André Fleury in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols Monday, while the team’s next two games are postponed.

The development with Fleury and the disruption to the schedule — the Hawks have had five games postponed this month — come as the team considers urging anyone on the roster who hasn’t gotten a booster shot to get one.

“I can’t say 100% if everyone has it, but I know a majority have had the booster shot,” coach Derek King said. “I know (head trainer Mike Gapski is) on top of it. Obviously we’re following all the protocols the NHL puts out for us.

“That’s probably something I should ask Gapper to find out — who has it and doesn’t have it — and then we’ll go from there.”

Fleury is the second Hawk to enter the protocols this month after defenseman Calvin de Haan went in a week ago. De Haan was removed Monday.

The Hawks called up goalie Collin Delia from the Rockford IceHogs and assigned forward Brett Connolly to the taxi squad.

“Obviously losing a guy like Fleury, it’s not easy,” King said. “But there’s an opportunity for (Kevin Lankinen) to get more games in and step up. ... If (the schedule) works out, maybe Deals gets a game in and there’s an opportunity for him also.”

“It’s tough,” defenseman Connor Murphy said of losing Fleury. “With us having more games postponed, maybe it helps to give him time to get healthy and have him back as soon as possible.”

Fleury has been key to the Hawks’ turnaround since Jeremy Colliton’s firing, going 8-3-1 with a .933 save percentage. He’s one of the latest NHL players to be affected by the outbreaks spreading throughout the league.

“Pretty unfortunate circumstances,” Delia said. “You don’t want to see anyone get sick or hurt. Definitely happy to be here, do a job and looking forward to competing every day and see what opportunity comes my way.”

The NHL on Monday postponed three more games, including the Hawks’ road game Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets. The league also shelved a home-and-home series Wednesday and Friday between the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars, bringing the total number of postponed games this season to 70.

The league previously postponed all of Monday’s schedule, and Sunday night it postponed three additional games, including the Hawks’ home game Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The league and players union also brought back taxi squads Sunday, which they used last season to help mitigate mass absences due to COVID-19. Teams are allowed to assign up to six players.

Other than Connolly, King wasn’t sure whom he wanted to recall from the IceHogs, who are dealing with their own coronavirus outbreak.

The IceHogs placed coach Anders Sorensen and assistant coach Jared Nightingale in COVID-19 protocols along with seven players: forwards Mike Hardman, Dmitri Osipov, Garrett Mitchell, Carson Gicewicz and D.J. Busdeker and defensemen Nicolas Beaudin and Ian Mitchell.

Goalie coach Peter Aubry takes over for Sorensen.

“We don’t want to leave them short,” King said, “but this is what the (AHL) is for, right? Your farm team is (there) to help you guys out when you need it.”

King said he’ll sit down with Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson to try to strike a balance between stocking the taxi squad and giving players enough ice time.

“There’s no point (if) a player’s here coming up from Rockford and just practicing and missing on all the opportunity to play hockey games,” King said. “I don’t know all the rules, like who can come up, who can go down, do you have to be up for a certain amount of time.

“Once I figure that out, then we’ll be able to maybe get a rotation going where players can get opportunities here.”

Delia, who is 4-4-1 with a .907 save percentage in Rockford, might not have to wait long to get his next opportunity with the Hawks if the schedule stays intact.

The Hawks have back-to-back games scheduled this weekend — New Year’s Day in Nashville and Sunday at home against the Calgary Flames — though concerns about cross-border travel might threaten the latter game.

Delia had a .902 save percentage and 3.59 goals-against average in six appearances (five starts) for the Hawks last season. He last played for the Hawks in the season finale, a 5-4 loss to the Stars.

“I look at it as every day is a new opportunity to prove myself,” Delia said. “I don’t see it as a destination: ‘Oh, I proved myself, so now I get to be in the NHL.’ It’s something you have to continually do over and over to be relevant.

“This past experience last year ... drove that home for me, that regardless of if I played in the NHL before, you can’t rest on that. You can’t be complacent.”

Delia called Fleury an “amazing” person and athlete, but he acknowledged that when the Hawks traded for the former Vegas Golden Knight, “it bumped me down a little bit.”

“For me, it’s how can I stand on his shoulders a bit and take some pointers away,” Delia said. “So just be a sponge around him. ... I’m just focused on one thing: That’s keeping the puck out of the net as best I can.”

Delia said he has gained insights into the nuances of the game through experience.

“I’ve definitely taken a step with my puck handling and decision making and overall reading the game and understanding who the next most dangerous player is on the ice,” he said. “That’s where I’m looking to take the biggest step, using my experience to be consistent, confident, be that anchor when needed to be.”