( Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images )

By: Ryan Duffy | Follow Me On Twitter @Rduffy26

With all of the Bruins’ news circulating Brad Marchand’s suspension and the recent trade request from Jake DeBrusk, the Bruins have announced that head coach Bruce Cassidy has been placed on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol Tuesday morning.

This is the Bruins’ first instance of COVID-19 impacting their team this season and hopefully will be the last. Cassidy has been the Bruins’ head coach since the 2016-17 season and has helped this team drastically improve. The Bruins with Cassidy behind the bench are 205-89-41 in the regular season with a Stanley Cup finals appearance in 2019.

Considering the Bruins’ relatively slow start to the 2020-21 season (11-7-0), it’s concerning to hear that they will be without Cassidy, Marchand, and potentially DeBrusk for the foreseeable future. This week, the Bruins games include a matchup tonight at the TD Garden against the Detroit Red Wings, then on the road against the Nashville Predators on Thursday, and back home against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

Joe Sacco, Kevin Dean, and Chris Kelly will remain behind the bench in the upcoming game. According to Don Sweeney, Joe Sacco has more experience than any of the other staff as head coach and will fill in for Cassidy. Under the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol, Cassidy will remain away from the team for at least ten days.

While DeBrusk has recently asked for a trade, he was seen at the morning skate with Erik Haula on the fourth line. Both players were recent scratches in the Bruins 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.

We wish Bruce Cassidy well and hope for a speedy recovery on behalf of the Black N’ Gold Productions family.