Florida Panthers’ bubble expectations and an encouraging NHL COVID-19 testing update
Joel Quenneville smiled and chuckled at the suggestion. In less than a week, the Florida Panthers — and the rest of the NHL — will be settled in at one of two hub cities, ready to live in a tightly regulated bubble for weeks or even months as the league plays out its expanded postseason. There’s a thought, as one reporter suggested to Quenneville, coaches might have to double as “chaperones” on this bizarre, extended field trip.
Quenneville, at least, isn’t too worried about his campers.
“The guys have been basically in that type of situation here for the last month or so,” the coach said. “A lot of the guys that have been in Florida have welcomed the guys that were out of town and led the way as far as what to expect away from the rink and when you are at the rink how to get through it.”
Everyone knows they need to pack a little differently — Xbox Ones and PlayStation 4s will be in bags, and Quenneville has extra suits and ties on his packing list — but there’s no organizational concern about anyone violating policies when the Panthers are in Toronto. Keith Yandle said the team knows it’s heading to Canada for a greater purpose.
“I don’t think that’s an issue at all,” the 33-year-old defenseman said. “Obviously, we’ve touched on it, but it kind of goes without saying that we’re there for a reason. We’re there to play hockey. I think we’ve got a group of guys that know that we’ve got to win games, so I think that’s the least of our worries.”
The NHL’s Phase 4 protocols do allow for some freedom. While players can’t go into their teammates’ rooms, there are common areas where people can mingle and play games. Hotels pools, bars and restaurants will all be open. The league is even allowing for some approved excursion off site, potentially for golf outings or similar activities.
There will be downtime, but there will also be ways to fill it.
Even at nights, when some players might usually go out to bars or clubs, Yandle doesn’t expect the urge to be too overwhelming for Florida, which is taking part in the postseason for just the fourth time in franchise history.
The sheer amount of hockey — and the amount of time people have gone without seeing any — should keep everyone entertained, Quenneville thinks.
“Everybody’s got some awareness to expect downtime,” he said, “but we’re going to see six hockey games a day. If you’re playing that day, you obviously won’t have as many games to see and we’ll be preparing from your last game into your next game or watching other games. I think the theme’s just going to be everybody’s watching games and enjoying it, so I think that’s part of it, as well. When you’re in the playoffs, it seems like that’s kind of what you’re only focusing on.”
NHL COVID-19 testing update
The NHL’s first update on COVID-19 testing for postseason training camp is encouraging. Across the league, only two players tested positive in the first week of training camps.
The league administered 2,618 tests from last Monday through Friday, testing more than 800 players. Only two of those tests came back positive. Both players are in self-isolation, the league said. The NHL did not disclose the identity of either player.
The Panthers were once again at full strength for practice Monday at the Florida Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs.
“Both Players who tested positive have self-isolated and are following CDC and Health Canada protocols,” the NHL said in a statement. “During Phase 3, the NHL will continue to provide regular updates on the number of tests administered to Players and the results of those tests.”
The NHL has been in Phase 3 of its return-to-play play since last Monday, when training camps began for the 24 teams participating in the postseason. Phase 4 begins at the start of August when the postseason begins in Toronto and Edmonton.
In Phase 3, players are tested every other day. Testing will become a daily practice once teams arrive in their hub cities Sunday.
Two positive tests mark a positive trend for the league as it tries to determine a Stanley Cup champion. Last Monday, the NHL released information on its COVID test results for Phase 2, which began in June and ended when training camps began. In Phase 2, 4,934 tests for the coronavirus were conducted with 30 positive results, plus 13 players who tested positive outside the Phase 2 protocol.
This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 4:40 PM.
