NHL plans to stop testing asymptomatic players after All-Star Break

The NHL informed teams on Tuesday that the league plans to stop testing asymptomatic players and staff for COVID-19 beginning on Feb. 7 after the All-Star break, sources told Daily Faceoff.

The protocol change is contingent on COVID-19 rates continuing to decline within the NHL and pending review and agreement by the NHL and NHLPA’s medical group and their infectious disease consultants by Jan. 31.

More importantly, these changes would also provide the NHL a better chance to complete the 82-game regular season by April 29, and much smoother sailing into the Stanley Cup playoffs since many players tested positive this season absent of symptoms.

The NBA and NFL, with all but one of their 62 franchises playing in one country, were much more quickly to act to halt testing on asymptomatic players. That left NHL players outspoken on the issue in recent days and weeks since the league reinstituted mandatory daily testing on Dec. 15, even though all but one of the league’s player population fully vaccinated. Since then, 104 games have been postponed league-wide.

“Guys are testing positive with no symptoms or mild symptoms,” Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart said on Jan. 5. “I mean, the league’s got to find a way to change that. We’re either going to keep playing shorthanded all season long or games are going to keep getting postponed. I think it’s a joke. It’s got to change.”

The NHL’s current protocol will remain in place until Feb. 3, at which point optional taxi squads will likely also be eliminated.

Then after one negative test is required for re-entry to team facilities following the All-Star break, testing will only be “for cause,” either for players and staff who develop symptoms, or require testing for cross-border travel.

Many players will not even need to test prior to cross-border travel, since so many have tested positive recently.

The NHL told teams on Tuesday that approximately 73 percent of players have tested positive this season, while approximately 60 percent have tested positive in the last five weeks alone.

According to data tracked by Daily Faceoff, 445 players have tested positive since Dec. 11 when the omicron variant began spreading rapidly, which represents more than 60 percent of the league’s 736 available roster spots.

Once a player tested positive, following a shortened five-day isolation period in line with U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommendations, he did not need to be tested again by his NHL team for 90 days.

Similarly, any player or staff member with a positive test is exempt from any necessary testing at the border for 90 days crossing into the United States and 180 days for entry into Canada.

Additionally, the NHL told teams on Tuesday that players, families and staff traveling to Las Vegas for All-Star weekend will be tested once prior to departure, but then will not need any testing in Sin City unless they develop COVID-19 symptoms or require a test result for re-entry into Canada.

The NHL plans to release an updated schedule later this week which fills in the three week Olympic break and reshuffles the deck with makeups for the 104 postponed contests.