Buffalo Sabres defenseman Jacob Bryson (78) during the first period at KeyBank Center on Nov. 13, 2021.
More bad news arrived for the Buffalo Sabres when the team reported to KeyBank Center for their morning skate Wednesday.
Jacob Bryson, a 24-year-old defenseman, became the sixth Sabres player to enter the NHL’s Covid-19 protocol, joining forwards Jeff Skinner, Vinnie Hinostroza, Zemgus Girgensons, Dylan Cozens and Mark Jankowski, all of whom weren’t available to play in the club’s first game since Dec. 17.
Coach Don Granato also remained in protocols and assistant Matt Ellis was thrust into the role of acting head coach.
The news about Bryson forced general manager Kevyn Adams and his staff to summon reinforcements from Rochester, as the Sabres recalled defenseman Casey Fitzgerald to the active roster and assigned Ethan Prow to the taxi squad.
Options were limited, though. Coach Seth Appert announced before Rochester’s game Wednesday against Providence that the Amerks have five players in Covid-19 protocols: defensemen Mattias Samuelsson, Jimmy Schuldt and Mitch Eliot, and forwards Matej Pekar and Sean Malone.
With Sabres defenseman Colin Miller unavailable because of an undisclosed injury, the club called upon Prow, a 29-year-old who had yet to appear in an NHL game. He is the first member of Buffalo’s taxi squad this season, as the league announced Sunday that each team can carry a reserve group of six players.