The NHL recently relaxed some of their COVID regulations.
They will no longer be testing asymptomatic players and staff members for COVID after the All-Star break. The NHL and NHLPA reached an agreement on this, though they will meet again later to assess the climate and formalize, per ESPN.
They will continue to test players and staffers before cross-border travel between the United States and Canada, however. Players showing symptoms will also be required to test.
The NHL and NHLPA went to daily testing as part of their enhanced protocols that they enacted in December 2021 following massive COVID outbreaks within the league, where they were forced to pause play from December 22nd to 27th, when 15% of their players were in protocol, forcing the postponements of 50 games through December 23rd.
The league has softened some of the policies since then, including reducing the isolation period for positive tests from 10 days to five for players who are asymptomatic. The NHL also brought back the taxi squads to help keep the season going.
The plan that the NHL has in place is that they test the players named to the All-Star Game before they arrive in time for the All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas on February 4th-5th, but not test them through the weekend, per sources.
Many players in the NHL were publicly and privately asking for the NHL to lessen their testing frequency. And while the NHL is planning to reduce their testing, they are not eliminating it entirely.
“We got guys vaccinated, double vaccinated,” said Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly in December. “Some guys aren’t showing any symptoms and they’re popping in COVID protocol. I think I’d like to see testing if you have symptoms but it’s not up to me. It’s a league and players’ decision.”
Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman was also an advocate for less testing.
“At the end of the day, our players are testing positive with very little symptoms, if any symptoms at all,” said Yzerman in December. “I don’t see it as a threat to their health at this point. So I think we need to take it a step further and question why are we even testing guys that have no symptoms.”
Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour, who is expected to be coaching the Metropolitan Division at the All-Star Weekend, said that the change was “common sense.”
“The players have done all they can, done all their vaccinations—all the stuff that they can do,” said Brind’Amour. “I don’t know why they would be testing them, to be honest with you, if they’re asymptomatic, so I agree with this decision. I think it’s a good one.”
The NHL and NHLPA also reportedly won’t require players to take a booster shot.
But with the playoffs a little over three months away, Islanders forward Matt Martin pointed out that not testing asymptomatic players is the right move that can keep rosters from being decimated at the most important time of the season.
“I think it’s a step in the right direction,” said Martin. “Hopefully we can continue to move forward and get back to a normal way of life.”
This is the right move, considering players were held out of games and, and some of the games were getting postponed despite very few players actually exhibiting symptoms of COVID. That led to situations where it was easy to question the NHL’s logic and the efficacy of their policy.
Some players were held out of warmups for games when they were waiting the results of re-tests. Others, after getting negative tests, later tested positive and entered protocol.
The fact that Bertuzzi is the only unvaccinated player and 73% of the league tested positive this season are factors that should prevent another major outbreak or any serious symptoms to players who can catch it.
So the new policy should prevent any further significant disruptions as opposed to the old policy that has constantly been felt as restrictive by many.
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