The NHL announced its COVID-19 protocol for the 2022-23 season (effective Aug. 16) on Tuesday afternoon.
Just as things were last season, teams are required to continue following all local guidelines and regulations, including federal health authorities. The NHL continues to encourage all players and team personnel to get vaccinated and remain up-to-date with booster recommendations from the CDC and Health Canada, though they are not mandating it.
At the request of the team and within legal parameters, players and team personnel who did not provide vaccination cards or documentation verifying vaccine status last season will be asked to do so. Those who fail to do so will be considered unvaccinated.
Currently, Canada is not requiring individuals to be vaccinated in order to cross the border, but those who are unvaccinated are subject to testing and quarantine.
Teams will have the right to suspend any unvaccinated player who is unable to participate in club activities due to their vaccination status. In such an event, the unvaccinated player(s) will forfeit the equivalent of one day's pay for each day they do not take part in club activities. That said, teams do not have the right to suspend and require salary forfeiture of any unvaccinated player who misses time after a confirmed positive COVID-19 test. Such cases will qualify as a hockey related injury.
Players whose unvaccinated status is based upon medical reasons or religious beliefs are not subject to salary forfeiture and are not to be denied opportunities to participate in club activities based on their vaccination status.
Any individual who feels common symptoms of COVID-19 are to immediately wear a face mask and take a COVID-19 test. Those individuals are to isolate themselves until their results are available. If an individual who feels symptoms receives a positive test, they do not have to undergo confirmatory testing.
Here are the requirements for a player who tested positive to end their isolation:
• Days 1-5: Two or more consecutive daily tests come back negative and a team medical director deems the individual is no longer a risk to infect others.
• Days 6-9: At least five days have passed since testing positive or symptoms first arrived and the individual receives a negative test.
• Day 10: Team medical director provides clearance that the individual is no longer a risk to infect others and that it is appropriate to end isolation.
Individuals who exit isolation prior to the 10-day benchmark are to wear a face mask around others until 10 days have passed, except for when they are at practices and games.
The entire protocol can be found here.
