The NHL Will Reportedly Stop Testing Asymptomatic Players
On Tuesday morning, multiple reports surfaced that the NHL would be altering their COVID testing protocols. Following the NHL All-Star break (February 4-5), the league will reportedly no longer require players who are asymptomatic from COVID to be tested.
NEWS: Sources tell @DailyFaceoff that #NHL will no longer test asymptomatic players and staff following the All-Star break, provided Covid-19 rates continue to decline around the league.
Testing will only then be for cross-border travel (as required) and if symptoms arise.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) January 18, 2022
The caveat being if COVID rates continue to decline around the league.
#NHL told teams today that 73% of the league’s rosters have tested positive this season and approximately 60% have tested positive in the last five weeks.
Current protocol remains in place until Feb. 3.
NHL and NHLPA must meet and review reported protocol changes on Jan. 31
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) January 18, 2022
The NHL was hit hard by COVID in early December, leading to nearly 100 games being postponed due to the outbreak, with a number of other Canadian games being postponed due to capacity limits in arenas, due to the rise in COVID cases in those provinces. The only time players who are not showing symptoms of COVID will be tested will be for U.S.-Canada border crossing.
While cases have started to plateau and decline, there is still the risk of the virus spreading across players and staff even if they are asymptomatic. That’s how a virus works. But the NHL is apparently accepting that risk for the sake of finishing their normal 82-game schedule for the 2021-22 season as close to on-time as possible.
With the league not sending players to the Olympics in Beijing this year, the three-week break in the NHL schedule following the All-Star break is expected the be used to re-schedule many of the previously postponed games. That re-scheduling of games is expected to be announced as early as tomorrow.
