Training camps are underway for the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) as they opened yesterday Friday, July 10. Getting ready to skate into the season and sharpen up the blades that have been hibernating for months. Due to COVID-19, stadiums nationwide had to take the necessary steps to keep staff and players safe.
Twenty-four teams out of the 31 NHL teams will be participating in the training camps initiating phase three. For now, it will be the teams and the staff needed to be allowed in the training facilities.
Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines are crucial for the reopening of the season and moving things forward. This as Toronto Maple Leaf’s Auston Matthews tested positive for COVID-19 while in his home state of Arizona in June. The 22-year-old was in quarantine with another teammate, goaltender Frederik Andersen, 31, who tested negative according to the Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun.
Arizona is a state with alarming rates of skyrocketing cases. As of Thursday, July 9, the number of cases in the state has surpassed 112,000 reported by azbigmedia.com. As of yet, the NHL has not released a statement on Matthews’ health status. The NHL Public Relations Twitter released a statement in regard to Covid-19.
Each team in the league will go forward with what they see fit and what is best for their organization. The future of hockey is still unknown. Amid the chaos, this is great news and skate in the right direction to get hockey back on the ice and on your tv screen.
[…] counts in the shortened season. Luckily, the bubble cities are working and no confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported. Teams and players can focus solely on the Stanley Cup qualification round. The […]