Rebels GM/Head Coach Concerned About Health of Son Brandon and Family
April 6, 2021 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Red Deer Rebels News Release
Brent Sutter had more on his mind on Monday than an evening clash with the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings.
Prior to the contest at the Centrium, the Rebels GM/head coach Brent Sutter called his son Brandon, a former Rebel and current Vancouver Canucks forward who has been inflicted with a variation of the COVID-19 virus.
In all, 18 Canucks players and three members of the team's coaching staff have been infected with the virus which has also spread to family members.
"I talked to him tonight. He's feeling a little better," said Brent. "Obviously, there's a huge concern there with not just the players but the family members too.
"There have been family members who have also tested positive and are sick with it too. Everyone is affected and hopefully over time you pray that it's not going to have an impact on someone moving forward and getting over this."
The emerging P.1 variant of the disease, first identified in Brazil, is extremely contagious and spreading across areas of Canada, including Alberta and British Columbia.
It is feared that the variant may also cause long-lasting health complications.
"That's the unknown with this variant, no one really knows," said Brent Sutter. "From what I've been told and from what everyone is saying, it's the Brazilian variant and it's knocked some guys pretty hard.
"Right now you just want everyone to get healthy again, get back to some normalcy. Right now hockey is the least of these guys' worries. They're concerned about their families who are sick too.
"You have guys whose wives are preganant and have young kids. It's certainly something that has been hard on everyone there and certainly hard on people on the outside who can't do anything to help out.
"It's just something they have to weather through and get back to being healthy. Hopefully it will be that when it's all said and done."
Western Hockey League Stories from April 6, 2021
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- Chiefs Add Defenseman Saige Weinstein to Active Roster - Spokane Chiefs
- Game Preview: Americans and Thunderbirds Meet for First Time this Season - Tri-City Americans
- Pre Game Report Presented by Imperial Steel - ICE vs Blades - April 6, 2021 - Winnipeg Ice
- Game Day Hub: Blades and Ice Set to Clash for Third Time - Saskatoon Blades
- Trent Miner's Third Consecutive Shutout Lifts Giants to a 4-0 Win over Kamloops - Vancouver Giants
- Rebels GM/Head Coach Concerned About Health of Son Brandon and Family - Red Deer Rebels
- Rebels Stumble out of Starting Gate, Fall 6-1 to Visiting Oil Kings - Red Deer Rebels
- Tigers Fall to Hitmen in Shootout - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Greig Shorthanded Winner Gives Wheat Kings 3-2 Win over Raiders - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Raiders Drop Close Contest to Wheat Kings - Prince Albert Raiders
- Oliver, Guenther and Luypen Score Two Apiece; Oil Kings Hammer Rebels Again - Edmonton Oil Kings
- Hitmen Use Shootout to Put Down Tigers - Calgary Hitmen
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