NHL says 27 positive COVID-19 tests found in training camps

The NHL says that 27 positive COVID-19 tests were found in players in training camps across the league.

The tests all came back from nine teams with the majority coming from an outbreak that came within the Dallas Stars. There, 17 players tested positive while in camp. The players are mainly asymptomatic and they are recovering without complication, the league said.

All of the tests were conducted between Dec. 30th and Jan. 11th and were done on a daily basis. A total of 12,000 tests were conducted on 1,200 players during that time.

During the 2020-21 season, the league will be providing regular updates on COVID-19 test results and will be releasing names of the players marking a shift in the way the league handles positive tests. In their 2020 return-to-play, the league opted to not disclose the names of those who tested positive for the virus and players were deemed “unfit to play.”

During the return to play series last summer, the league had no players test positive inside the bubble but a total of 50 tests came back positive ahead of it.

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