As part of new guidelines for the next season, the NHL expects to punish unvaccinated players more severely if they test positive for the coronavirus.
According to a source familiar with the new guidelines, teams will be allowed to ban unvaccinated players without pay if they are unable to participate in hockey activities as part of the protocols. Because the protocols had not been announced, the individual talked to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity on Friday.
Any COVID-19 positives in fully vaccinated athletes will be treated as hockey injuries, and they will still be paid. Coaches and other team members who have frequent contact with players must be fully immunized.
On the road, unvaccinated players would have their mobility restricted as well. Vaccinated players will still be tested for coronavirus on a regular basis.
Earlier this summer, league officials predicted that over 90% of players would be properly immunized when training camps begin later this month.
The guidelines for 2021-22, which were first reported by Sportsnet in Canada, were distributed to teams this week. It’s yet unclear how the season will be affected by crossing the US-Canada border.
Last season, the NHL realigned to remove the border from the equation until late in the playoffs. The seven Canadian teams only played each other, whereas the 24 teams in the United States played a division-only 56-game season.
As part of an agreement with the Canadian federal government, when the Canadiens faced Vegas and Tampa Bay in the final two rounds, players and staff traveling back and forth were placed in a quarantined bubble when in Montreal. Because to low virus incidence rates in certain locations at the time, the NHL held the entire 2020 playoffs in bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta.
