Dubois’ unexplained absence part of new policy

It didn’t take long for the Blue Jackets’ restart training camp to produce a mystery absence.

Center Pierre-luc Dubois missed practice Tuesday at the Ohiohealth Ice Haus with what is believed to be a minor issue, though no update was provided by the team. It was the second day of the Jackets’ training camp as part of the NHL’S return.

Contacted by The Dispatch, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen deferred to the NHL’S new policy for updating injuries — which, essentially, is to provide no specifics.

The league also is discouraging teams from using terms such as “upper body” or “lower body” to identify injuries, instead encouraging the use of terms such as “fit to play” or “unfit to play.”

The Chicago Blackhawks were among the first to use the new descriptor Monday on their first day of camp, saying goaltender Corey Crawford was “unfit to play” to explain his absence from the ice.

It’s an effort to prevent the disclosure and/or discovery of players who test positive for COVID-19 during the league’s return, but it has already led to a shroud of mystery and speculation.

Dubois, for instance, was skating and shooting by himself at one end of the ice Tuesday before practice, opposite the end where goaltenders were doing pre-practice work. He left the ice when the full team showed up for a warmup skate and didn’t return.

The Dispatch has learned that Dubois’ situation is not believed to be something serious, but that didn’t do much to quell anxiety and speculation on social media.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly was asked last weekend about injury disclosures during the league’s return to the ice. In short, a cloak of secrecy is now mandated.

“We’ve obviously dealt with that situation and talked to the players association about it and continue to feel that medical privacy is important in this process,” Daly said. “Having said that, we understand as a league we have an obligation of some transparency with respect to the COVID virus.

“At least for now, we’re going to maintain a policy where the league is announcing, basically, league numbers, and clubs are really prohibited from giving any information with respect to COVID test results — and for purposes of making the system work, any injury information going forward.”

The NHL released a statement Monday stating that more than 600 players participated in the league’s Phase 2 voluntary workouts at team facilities over the previous month and 4,934 COVID-19 tests had been administered. Those tests produced 30 confirmed positive results, and the league is aware of 13 additional players who tested positive outside of protocols. bhedger@dispatch.com @Brianhedger