CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — On June 8, the NHL implemented Phase 2 of its four-phase return-to-play plan. Players could engage in voluntary small-group practices at their respective team facilities while adhering to local health and social-distancing protocols.
Fewer than three weeks later, the league announced 11 out of more than 200 players participating in those practices tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19 strain). Three were members of the Tampa Bay Lightning, which temporarily closed its facilities awaiting results of other tests. Earlier this month, a player from the Boston Bruins and one from the Pittsburgh Penguins also tested positive.
NHL policy is not to reveal the names of players who contract the coronavirus. The league also announced it would issue weekly reports on the number of players tested but wouldn't reveal what team they belong to.
On Friday, however, the Toronto Sun reported Maple Leafs’ star Auston Matthews was among those who tested positive. He's the first NHL player publicly identified as having contracted the coronavirus.
Matthews, who makes his off-season home in Arizona, was reportedly training with several members of the Arizona Coyotes. The Sun cited sources claiming several unidentified Coyotes also tested positive. The Leafs, meanwhile, declined to comment on the Sun report. There was no response from Matthews' representatives.
The recent spike in positive tests among players has some observers wondering if it could derail the NHL’s attempt to complete this season and crown a Stanley Cup champion. The New York Post reported Phase 3 (a two-week training camp) would start on July 10, with Phase 4 (the 24-team playoff tournament in two host cities) beginning July 30.
Meanwhile, a report in The Athletic cited several player agents claiming a growing number of their clients are expressing concerns about the tournament. NHL Players’ Association executives could find it difficult to soothe those worries among their membership.
Those recent positive tests occurred in states like Arizona and Florida where COVID-19 cases are on the rise. That could become a factor as the league ponders its selection of two host cities for the tournament.
Las Vegas is considered a front-runner, but the state of Nevada is among those where COVID-19 is spiking. Some pundits feel Canadian cities like Edmonton, Toronto and Vancouver – where the coronavirus curve has flattened or is in decline – are better options.
The Canadian government last week approved a cohort quarantine policy exempting NHL players coming into the country from the mandatory 14-day quarantine. It opens the door for a Canadian host city, with the players isolated from the general public. The league is expected to announce the two hosts sometime this week.
It's also been reported teams are reaching out to their players to report to their respective NHL cities before the end of the month. That would allow them sufficient time to self-quarantine those who test positive for 14 days before training camps open.
The NHL remains determined to complete this season, but COVID-19 remains a significant obstacle.
Lyle Richardson is a freelance writer with the Sporting News and runs the website Spector’s Hockey. His column will appear in The Guardian throughout the NHL hockey season.
