You said that there are separate rules for vaccinated and unvaccinated players which is false. The penalties to the player and possibly the team are more severe for unvaccinated players, but the NHL is not mandating, just strongly urging players are vaccinated
- LAHawk
From The Athletic article 9/2/2021 (
https://theathletic.com/2...y=NHL%20Covid%20protocols)
In the second sentence of the NHL’s 27 pages of COVID-19 protocols for the 2021-22 season, distributed to all 32 clubs Thursday, it was made crystal clear that vaccinated and unvaccinated players will be treated very differently this upcoming season.
Unvaccinated players will be subject to a seven-day quarantine upon reporting for training camp, which opens league-wide on Sept. 23, or at any later point in the season (for instance, an AHL call-up) if it’s determined they traveled from a high-risk environment or engaged in behavior that subjected them to a substantially higher risk of infection. The duration could be extended to 14 days if deemed appropriate. The unvaccinated player will be subject to RT-PCR testing on Day 1, 3, 5 and 7 of his quarantine.
• Fully vaccinated individuals have reduced circumstances in which they are required to wear face coverings. However, masks for fully vaccinated individuals are required in areas where there is substantial or high transmission of COVID-19 and must continue to be worn when inside club facilities or team spaces other than while actively exercising, playing in a game, sitting on the bench or while eating or drinking.
• Unvaccinated Players are required to wear face coverings at all times when with the team or in team spaces other than exercising, playing, etc.
• Unvaccinated Players are required to remain more than six feet from both unvaccinated and fully vaccinated individuals, including in meeting rooms, locker room stalls, when dining, etc.
• If physical distancing can’t be controlled, like on the team charter, in the locker room or on a team bus, fully vaccinated individuals must always be masked for the entire time they are in close contact to an unvaccinated individual.
• Unvaccinated Players are not permitted to share small, enclosed spaces such as saunas, steam rooms or vehicles (e.g., carpooling, taxis or rideshares) with either fully vaccinated or other unvaccinated players. Each unvaccinated player shall be provided with his own hotel accommodation for the duration of his participation in training camp, as well as when on road trips during the regular season.
• Unvaccinated players on any team flight should avoid eating and drinking at the same time as others in the same row and remain masked except while actively eating or drinking.
• Fully vaccinated players shall be subject to PCR testing at least every 72 hours. Unvaccinated players get tested daily. On Nov. 1, the NHL and NHLPA will meet to determine whether the conditions are appropriate to increase or decrease the frequency of testing.
• On road trips, unvaccinated players shall not patronize or enter internal venues other than the team hotel, practice facility or arena. The one exception is for medical treatment or extenuating personal circumstances.
• Unvaccinated players cannot use the hotel gym, pool, sauna, steam room or other shared facilities. Unvaccinated players cannot have players, club staff or visitors inside their hotel room with the exception of fully vaccinated family members.
• Clubs shall arrange a big enough private meal room at each hotel to enable proper distancing between unvaccinated players and others.
• Unvaccinated players are not permitted to leave the hotel to eat or to purchase food or otherwise use any restaurants or bars (in the hotel or otherwise) that are open to the public. Unvaccinated Players are not permitted to pick up food from restaurants except where the restaurant provides “curb-side pickup” or similar service that does not require the player to enter the main restaurant.
• Unvaccinated players are asked to stay at home to the greatest extent possible and to not engage in unnecessary interactions with non-family members or other individuals whom they may be unaware of that person’s vaccination status. This includes “diligently wearing face coverings and physically distancing when outside of the club facilities and avoiding social interactions.”
• Unvaccinated players are asked to not go inside restaurants, bars and clubs. While outdoor dining at restaurants or bars is permitted, face coverings must be worn when not actively eating or drinking. They’re asked to not engage in indoor dining, even at home, with others outside their personal household bubbles; and to avoid crowded situations, including schools, movie theaters and malls. They’re asked to avoid any public transportation and to rely on delivery services for groceries, meals and other personal items.
• All players and team personnel will not be permitted to participate in organized interactions with fans (handshake lines, fist bumps, autograph sessions, charity events or speaking engagements).
• The event level, locker rooms, bench areas and club charters (for rightsholders) will be open to all media and broadcast personnel as long as the media members are fully vaccinated and masked at all times. Fully vaccinated players and hockey operations personnel may be unmasked during interviews, but unvaccinated players must remain masked during interviews or be six feet away from the interviewer.
