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Positive COVID-19 cases reach 35 in the NHL
After the return to play plan is agreed upon, players will have a few more days to opt-out of playing in the NHL's expanded postseason. Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Late yesterday, news broke on key Return to Play protocols that the players and owners will be voting on soon. Initially it was being reported that players opting-out must notify their respective teams by Tuesday at 5PM. That was later clarified by Bob McKenzie to be three days after the plan is ratified.

Key Points on NHL Return to Play Protocols

Today, the NHL released its weekly COVID-19 testing results and found an additional 8 cases. Last week it was 15 with 12 more cases identified outside of the Phase 2 protocols. That is now a total of 35 positive tests in the league out of 396 players tested.

The big question everyone is asking is if any NHL players will opt out? Not too long ago, Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers issued a statement expressing his concerns. The Blueshirts leading scorer said, “I have concerns not only about the health of players and their families but also about the longterm prosperity of the NHL.”

Another star who opened up was Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens. “It’s a very unusual situation. I want the opportunity to be able to play for a Stanley Cup, but I want to be able to continue living life normally,” Price said.

While a majority of players have reported from all over the world to their respective cities in preparation for Phase 3, not all have. Ryan Strome for example of the Rangers who just had a baby has yet to report, but is expected.

So will players opt out? It is likely you may have a few but it looks like a majority are here and ready to play. We’ll get all our answer this week three days after the deal is ratified.

This article first appeared on Sportsnaut and was syndicated with permission.

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