Coronavirus guidelines extended to April 30th, NHL will have to follow suit

Updated:

Yesterday, I wrote about what the point of no return would be for the NHL to cancel. While we are still far from that time, the federal government extended the coronavirus guidelines to April 30th. In truth, the initial 15 Days to Slow the Spread was just that, a first step. So as a Nation, we must all band together and continue to do our part to stay home and be safe.

NHL expected to provide updates

Based on the extension of the guidelines, Gary Bettman and Bill Daly should be providing updates. The Commissioner in a recent Q&A with the Hockey News discussed the COVID-19 issue, particularly the NHL’s role and handling of the situation. When it came to moving forward with the latest CDC recommendations, here’s what Bettman said.

We are absorbing all of the information that’s out there. We take it seriously, as I said. In terms of where we go from here, we’re modelling all sorts of options and everything is on the table. But we’re going to have to be flexible and react to things that are beyond our control.

Bettman via THN

Since that interview conducted on March 18th, 4 NHL players, Blues announcer John Kelly, and the owner of the Rangers James Dolan have tested positive for the coronavirus. As the pause is expected to last at least through April, how many more involved in the league will he added to that list? As of now, there is no mandate to test players, but would it not be prudent to do so before any resumption of play? We will find out soon enough.

Also Read: Rangers last opponent now has 2 confirmed cases

By Anthony Scultore

Anthony Scultore has been covering the New York Rangers and the NHL since 2014. His work also appears at... More about Anthony Scultore

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