Report: NHL Outlines Protocols for Vaccinated, Unvaccinated Players in New Guidelines

The NHL and NHL Players' Association unveiled updated health and safety guidelines related to the pandemic on Thursday with the preseason less than a month away. 

According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the biggest change allows for teams to suspend unvaccinated players who are “unable to participate in club activities," including situations where a player cannot travel because of local regulations.

Those players would forfeit the equivalent of one day's pay for each day they miss. 

Per Friedman: 

"It’s a major development considering the Canada/U.S. border and different rules/approaches across the NHL's North American landscape. General managers were warned about this possibility at their virtual meeting in July and began informing players about the possibility."

"There are exceptions — unvaccinated status based upon medical reasons; a conflict with 'sincerely held religious beliefs;' establishment 'on the basis of a balance of the probabilities,' COVID-19 'arised out of the course of employment as a hockey player;' or quarantine because of being a high-risk close contact."

Vaccinated players who are confirmed to have tested positive for COVID-19 will receive the same designation as any other injured player under the collective bargaining agreement. 

The league has also mandated that any employee who has personal interactions with players—specified as within 12 feet—must be vaccinated as a condition of employment. 

Additionally, unvaccinated players will not be permitted to enter "internal venues" during road trips other than team hotel, practice facilities or game arenas. That includes leaving their hotel rooms for meals, drinks or other entertainment options. Unvaccinated players will be tested for COVID-19 daily while vaccinated players will only be tested every 72 hours, though that is subject to change as needed. 

Players who wish to opt-out of the 2021-22 season "because they are unvaccinated or fully vaccinated 'but can establish that an immediate family member with whom he shares a household is at substantially heightened risk of severe illness by contracting COVID-19'" must do so by Oct. 1. Players who do opt-out would still be prohibited from playing in other leagues or at the Olympics in February.