Following a week of record COVID-19 cases, the NHL has officially announced a memorandum to its health and safety protocols through at least Jan. 7.
In the aftermath of a week that saw record numbers of COVID-19 cases sweep throughout the league and cause players from nearly all 32 teams to enter health and safety protocols practically by the hour, the NHL has officially announced a memorandum on the league's COVID protocols on Saturday morning.
These new protocols will come into effect immediately and will be subject to re-evaluation on Jan. 7, 2021.
While it's unfortunate to revert to more stringent measures after it appeared that the virus was slowly disappearing, this is a necessary move to ensure the health and safety of all involved in the game.
These "new" protocols are very similar to those from last season, which feature, among other stipulations, a return to daily testing for players and staff (excluding off-days), strict limitations on where players can congregate while on the road, and mandatory masking in all team facilities.
Teams are instructed to hold meetings either virtually or in large, well-ventilated spaces for the time being, as well, with players also encouraged to limit their exposure to large groups of people outside of the rink both at home and while on the road.
If a player does test positive during the newly-implemented daily rounds of testing, they can only return to the team once they produce a negative test, along with those who could be deemed "close contacts".
These protocols are no joke.
The NHL has already postponed all games featuring the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, and Florida Panthers through the end of the upcoming holiday break due to significant outbreaks ripping through their respective rosters. Instituting these strict new guidelines is to ensure that, in the event of a positive test on any given team, the likelihood of an outbreak sweeping throughout the entire organization is lessened greatly.
With teams set to enjoy a three-day break beginning on Dec. 23, the actual enforcement period of these new protocols is approximately 17 days, before they will be re-evaluated by the league.
Here's hoping this is only a minor blip in the ongoing battle against this horrid virus.