Federal government set to make seven-day quarantine exception for NHL: report

Mar 25 2021, 10:57 pm

It appears pandemic restrictions will soon be adjusted for Canadian NHL teams, just in time for the trade deadline.

According to a report from the CBC’s David Cochrane, the federal government is set to approve a plan that would no longer require players traded from American to Canadian teams to have to go through a full 14-day quarantine. Instead, players could join their new team after a seven-day quarantine, with extra testing.

Cochrane adds that all provinces with NHL teams — BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec — have approved the plan, which should be in place before the April 12 trade deadline.

The 14-day quarantine law has made making trades more difficult for Canadian NHL teams. Not only does an incoming player have to miss two weeks, he has to work himself back into game shape after the 14 days are done too.

The Winnipeg Jets did make a blockbuster trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets earlier this season, with Pierre-Luc Dubois joining the Jets after sitting in quarantine for two weeks — but that’s been the exception, not the rule.

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