The NHL and NHLPA are nearing an agreement that will see asymptomatic players and staff tested less often for COVID-19, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports.
The new testing plan would go into effect after next month's All-Star weekend in Las Vegas.
According to Friedman, people who are asymptomatic will only be tested to adhere to cross-border travel requirements. Once someone shows symptoms they will be tested and may have to enter COVID-19 protocols, depending on the result.
The NHL and NHLPA modified the COVID-19 protocol in late December allowing vaccinated people who entered the protocol to test out of it after only five days of isolation. At the time, the league said in a statement that it would review the protocols again in mid-January.
Editor's Note: The COVID-19 situation, in the NHL and around the world, is constantly evolving. Readers in Canada can consult the country's public health website for the latest.
There is only one NHL player who is known to not be vaccinated and many have received booster shots in the past few months. Despite that, the league has been forced to postpone more than 100 games so far this season -- mostly due to the emergence of the Omicron variant, which studies have shown is highly transmissible and less susceptible to vaccines than other variants to this point in time. However, several studies have shown that being fully vaccinated with a booster shot does provide protection against infection from the Omicron variant, which is why a majority of the NHL population who have tested positive in recent weeks have done so with mild or no symptoms.
The move to not test asymptomatic people follows similar decisions made by the NFL and NBA in late 2021.
The NHL withdrew its players from the Olympics in late December to open up more dates to make up postponed games. Friedman reports that changes to the schedule could be announced as early as Wednesday.
