Montreal Canadiens interim head coach Dominique Ducharme is currently isolating at home following irregularities in a recent COVID-19 test, the NHL announced on Friday. Ducharme will undergo further testing prior to Game 3 against the Vegas Golden Knights, which will take place in Montreal on Friday night.
The Canadiens had a press conference scheduled for Ducharme on Friday, but it was canceled following the inconclusive test. The team is expected to release another update prior to Game 3.
Ducharme received the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on June 9. He has been serving as Montreal's interim head coach since Claude Julien was fired back on Feb. 24. During the regular season, Ducharme led the Canadiens to a 15-16 record, but the team went on to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets in order to reach the semifinals of these playoffs.
The Canadiens and Golden Knights are tied at one game apiece in their best-of-seven series. Vegas came away with a 4-1 victory in Game 1, while Montreal responded with a 3-2 win in Game 2.
Ducharme isn't the first coach who has gone through this situation in the 2021 postseason. During the previous round's series between the Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar was forced to miss a morning skate as a result of a COVID-19 testing irregularity. He was quickly cleared and coached in Game 6 of that series.
