There will be no quarantine in China for hockey players, Iman Luke Tardiff

This Saturday, Conor McDavid said he found disturbing The possibility of undergoing quarantine Three to five weeks In China if he gets a positive test result during the Games.

last weekend, Defender Alex Petrangelo, another player on the Canadian team’s priority list, who expressed the same concern.

I have four children under three and a half years old. The prospect of me being detained in China for five weeks, plus the duration of the games, is in my opinion a very long time away from my family. I won’t make a decision until we have all the answers because they hardly come in this time. So we are all waiting for the clarification, argued the Vegas Golden Knights point guard.

It is the president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), Luke Tardiff, who confirms this.

Luke Tardiff, President of IIHF

Photo: Agence France-Presse / Frank Fife

We really did everything. We have answered all the questions asked by the Players Association. In the past, we have never worked with an International Olympic Committee (IOC) and an organizing committee that has been very open to the idea of ​​changing their plans in favor of offering the Olympic hockey tournament. We never got much help, says Tardiff, who returned to Paris on Saturday. He had passed through Moscow on Friday to meet the organizers Channel One Cup.

the The new president of the Institute of International Investment He cites as an example the entire planning of flights to transport National Hockey League (NHL) hockey players to China that had to be rescheduled due to difficult diplomatic relations between the United States and the host country of the Winter Games.

The flights will pass through Canada and other flights will arrive via Japan. It was all gymnastics but we did it, He said.

« Then there was the fact that no one wanted to go into a 21-day quarantine in China. So we found ways to own medical ambulances. These ambulances will be used to transport players out of the country in case of a positive result. »

And not just NHL players, others tooLuke Tardiff insists. These steps required a lot of effort, but we did it. We therefore respond to any conditions that arise when they are brought to our attention.

The latter also reveals that the AJLNH, the International Olympic Committee, the IIHF and the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee participated in a very positive meeting last week. We’ve gone too far [pour que ça fonctionne]. We’ve never been so close to a deal , is a duel.

Isn’t it surprising that NHL stars weren’t aware of this important information?

Edmonton Oilers Captain Conor MacDavid.

Photo: Getty Images / Rich Lam

IIHF President and CEO Donald Fehr has agreed to meet in Edmonton after Christmas during the Junior Hockey World Championships. The two men will be staying at this time.

At this point in the preparations for the games, the NHLPA is the main point of contact for the IIHF regarding the participation of NHL players.

« I still believe in the participation of NHL players in the Beijing games. I would tell you that if that didn’t happen, it would be because COVID-19 and the Omicron variant would have been a game changer. »

It is understood that the number of games postponed in the NHL will affect the league schedule. This is what we fear above all. And when you watch the situation develop, it is not encouraging. However, we continue to act as if the NHL players are participating in the games.Luke Tardiff argues.

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If the players decide to go to Beijing, we agree that they will be there to play hockey. Not to be on vacation. The health bubble that is planned is going to be something. For those who are admitted, it is likely the safest place in the world for COVID-19. We have responded to all concerns we have been informed of, Concludes.

The NHL has until January 10 to confirm whether or not its players will participate in the Beijing Games. If the NHL withdraws at the last minute, the IIHF and the National Olympic Committees will have only a few weeks to renew the championship and prepare new rosters.