NHL players who need their work visas extended through the postseason "were ‘strongly encouraged’ this week to return to Canada or the United States (depending on which of the two countries they play in) by June 21,” according to Elliotte Friedman of SPORTSNET.ca. The league’s calendar ends on June 30, and visas “expire at that time.” Since the pandemic “makes it extremely difficult for the quick process of renewals, players were told in a memo ‘it is essential that you return as soon as possible to give your club enough time to process a renewal application on your behalf.’" The concern is that players who do not return over the next week “will have difficulty entering North America in time for the potential opening of training camps on July 10” (SPORTSNET.ca, 6/13).
QUESTIONS REMAIN ABOUT PLAN: In Montreal, Pat Hickey noted the issue of what happens if a player tests positive for coronavirus is just “one of the questions hanging over the NHL’s return to play.” The league claims that it “can handle a positive test but, if that happens, there’s no way to know how players, team management or the league itself will react.” Hickey: “What happens if there is a second or third positive test? Is there a threshold the NHL is willing to accept?” It would be understandable if players are “nervous if a teammate tested positive,” as locker rooms “can serve as incubators for a virus.” Additionally, while players “will be in a bubble during the actual tournament, they will be in a more relaxed atmosphere during training camp when there will be more reliance on individuals being vigilant” (MONTREAL GAZETTE, 6/13).
