Maybe it was a sign, a bad harbinger, or even a warning. As the NHL-Season started on January 13th, the had Dallas Stars their training hall already have to close and 17 infected players. The first four games of the season have been postponed. The Covid-19 outbreak offers the stars an unexpected position battle in trainingcampIt was then said in the daily newspaper “Dallas Morning News“You just have to search long enough to find something positive among all the negatives.
Four weeks later, the search is still ongoing – this time on the part of the league leaders. Because they now have a big corona problem. The Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils haven’t played since January 31st. The Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild paused since February 2nd. On Tuesday (February 9th, 2021) the Philadelphia Flyers a fifth Team added.
Novelty in Vegas: Manager has to act as a coach
And in between was also with the Vegas Golden Knights once for a week everything is quiet. In the last game before the mandatory break, Covid-19 had even ensured that the Golden Knights from the Nevada desert Manager Kelly McCrimmon stood behind the gang. Because Chef Peter DeBoer and his four assistants were “as a precaution“has been isolated.
“Covid sneaks through ours Team“complained Minnesotas Manager Bill Guerin in this week. Eleven players from his team stand on the NHL Covid protocol list. Anyone who is noted there has a positive test, Covid symptoms or has to stop due to contact tracing. Currently the NHL 49 players from eight clubs on this list.
NHL is now making rapid tests available
He expects that the number at his club could even increase, emphasizes Guerin. According to the Managers had some of the players affected “mild symptoms such as pain and loss of smell and taste.“
The NHL announced further measures on Thursday (February 11th, 2021) to somehow contain the spread. So there should be quick tests from now on, the 24 United States/Vereinigte Staaten">US–Teams to provide. The family members of the professionals should also have the opportunity to be tested.
Four games postponed on Thursday
The decisions came just on the day on which four games – more than ever before – with the addition “ppd“were noted. This is the abbreviation for”postponed” (postponed). And the number of postponed games is now 35. By Monday, that much is already certain, at least five more will be added.
What stands out: Only in the three American ones NHL-Divisions games had to be postponed so far. The seven Canadian Teams, due to the border to the United States of America">USA stay among yourself this time and form your own group, had not yet moved the game. And with Jesse Puljujärvi, Team-mates of Leon Draisaitl and Dominik Kahun at the Edmonton Oilers, there has only been one player on the Covid Protocol list since Thursday.
Canada’s government took virus from the start
From a purely mathematical point of view, the likelihood of infection is of course greater if 24 clubs play in one country and only seven in the other. In addition, the USA with its 328 million people has around nine times as many inhabitants as its northern neighbor. However, the Canadian government has taken the pandemic seriously from the start, while under the White House Donald Trump the virus and its danger has always been downplayed for political reasons.
“Our government has done a really good job fighting Covid“says Paul Byron of the Montreal Canadiens. He also lists the far lower number of cases Lockdown back in the country. “Apart from going to the ice rink and then back home, you are practically not allowed to go anywhere. This makes it easier for an ice hockey player not to expose himself to danger“, so Byron. “Because of the resolutions and restrictions we have here in Canada, it’s far easier to stay healthy“also thinks Calgary Flames-Torwart Jacob Markström.
“You can do everything right and still lose“
to get support Byron and Markström from Dr. Isaac bogoch. The infectious disease specialist at the University of Toronto advises the NHL-Players union since the pandemic broke out. “You can do everything right and still lose“says Bogoch. For example, he points out that children are in Next or infect schools and infect their parents as well. And where there is a higher number of cases in public, the risk of infection is greater. “And unfortunately, there are more cases in the US in public“, so Bogoch.
There are significantly fewer corona cases in Canada. Still they are NHL-Professionals continue to be careful. “So far we’ve been lucky in ours Division. But we have to be careful“warns Zach Hyman of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Winnipeg Jets-Trainer Paul Maurice added: “We are not perfect. But we try.“
Stand: 12.02.2021, 12:01
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