Czechia forfeits world junior game against Finland due to positive COVID-19 test
CBC
The latest sports news:
A second game in as many days was forfeited Wednesday at the world junior men's hockey championship because of COVID-19.
Finland's game against Czechia, scheduled to start at noon local time at Edmonton's Rogers Place, was abruptly called off in the morning because a Czech player tested positive for the virus.
A 1-0 win was awarded to Finland under International Ice Hockey Federation rules. All on-ice game officials will be required to wear masks until further notice, the IIHF said Wednesday in a statement.
That came a day after the United States had to forfeit a game to Switzerland in Red Deer, Alta., because two Americans had tested positive for the virus.
More testing of the U.S. team was underway Wednesday to determine if its Pool B game against Sweden would go ahead that night in Red Deer.
The Czechs are scheduled to play Austria on Thursday.
Canada (2-0) was to face Germany (0-1-0-1) in a Pool A game in Edmonton, while Russia (1-1) was to meet Slovakia (0-2) in Red Deer on Wednesday.
The preliminary round in each pool concludes Friday with quarter-finals scheduled for Sunday.
While no games are scheduled for Saturday, makeup games can't be played that day because it is against IIHF sport regulations for teams to play games on three straight days in tournaments.
The NHL is following other leagues and the CDC by cutting COVID-19 isolation times to five days under certain conditions and where it is allowed by local laws.
Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly on Wednesday confirmed the new protocols, which were first reported by Daily Faceoff.
The change only applies in the United States because of stricter pandemic regulations in Canada. Players, coaches and staff who test positive for the coronavirus can return after five days with a negative PCR test or two negative rapid test results taken more than two hours apart.
"I think that's a good step," Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg said on a video call. "Obviously testing will still be a regular thing, I'm sure, and that's something that we dealt with all last year, so we're used to that. But I think that's the way to do it as long as we can keep everything in the way it's been, which has been pretty safe to me."
