Report: NHL Players To Go Home, Self-Quarantine
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The NHL has reportedly issued a new directive to players, telling them to return home and self-quarantine for the rest of the month.
Chris Johnston first reported the news on Twitter.
"The NHL has issued new directives to players: They are permitted to go home, to any country, and must stay in self-quarantine until the end of March once they get there," he said.
The new directive comes on the heels of the CDC's recommendation not to hold gatherings of 50 or more people for the next eight weeks because of the ongoing pandemic. Players had previously been told to remain in their team's city and await direction.
"This is a significant change from NHL's previous to return-to-play plan. As part of this new directive, it sounds like the league hopes to re-open camps in late April."
Many fans had hoped the season would return sooner rather than later but it doesn't seem like that will be the case. The league is still hopeful that they will be able to resume play at some point and finish out the 2019-20 season but, as of now, it is unclear on when they would return or what approach they would take to crowing a champion.
The NHL suspended its season with 189 regular season games remaining. The Stanley Cup has only not been handed out twice since 1893 during the 1919 Spanish flu outbreak and the 2005 lockout.
