Dallas Stars coach Rick Bowness was pulled from the bench after the second period of Sunday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes due to COVID-19 protocols, the team announced.
Bowness, 66, is the oldest head coach in the league. He is fully vaccinated, the team said. Assistant coach John Stevens assumed head-coaching responsibilities for the rest of Sunday's game.
The Stars had a coronavirus outbreak in training camp after 17 members of the team tested positive, which delayed the start of their season. Dallas goaltender Anton Khudobin is the only Stars player currently on the NHL's COVID protocol list.