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NHL pushing back self-quarantine guidelines until April 15

ByMary Clarke|
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 12: The ice and spectator seating is empty prior to the Detroit Red Wings playing against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on March 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. Yesterday, the NBA suspended their season until further notice after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19). The NHL said per a release, that the uncertainty regarding next steps regarding the coronavirus, Clubs were advised not to conduct morning skates, practices or team meetings today. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 12: The ice and spectator seating is empty prior to the Detroit Red Wings playing against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on March 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. Yesterday, the NBA suspended their season until further notice after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19). The NHL said per a release, that the uncertainty regarding next steps regarding the coronavirus, Clubs were advised not to conduct morning skates, practices or team meetings today. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

The NHL has extended its date to end its self-quarantine guideline for all players and staff to April 15 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

NHL players and team staff will be under self-quarantine for a little bit longer now, thanks to a new update from the league. On Tuesday, the league announced that it will be extending its self-quarantine guidelines due to coronavirus for all its players and staff until April 15.

The previous guideline covered NHL players and staff until April 4, with this new deadline extending out an additional 11 days based on how rapidly things have changed with the pandemic.

In an email to the Associated Press, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly confirmed that the league is taking this in small increments due to the shifting landscape of the situation.

“As we get closer to the date, we’re going to have to make decisions as to what to do then,” Daly said. “We’re biting this off in chunks.”

Since the NHL released the updated guidelines, the Ottawa Senators have since stated that three additional players on their roster — plus one staff member — have tested positive, and since recovered, from coronavirus. That announcement brings the league’s overall total to eight players and staff that have tested positive so far.

The NHL put its season on pause on March 12, and has since been looking into ways to resume the season in the months to come. Players have proposed a late-July restart to the season, with the league having looked into arena availabilities through August and September.

The league is also looking at different playoff formats, should the season be able to return. The most popular idea thrown out is a 24-team playoff format, to accommodate teams in the postseason hunt that wouldn’t have been able to play out their seasons due to the pandemic.

In the weeks since the pause, the league has also postponed the 2020 NHL draft, the awards and the combine until further notice.

The extended guidelines only covers under two additional weeks, and depending on the state of things in mid-April, the league may need to extend their self-quarantine mandates for longer down the road once again.

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