Canada’s junior camp suspended due to COVID
Hockey Canada has temporarily shut down national junior team selection camp following the confirmation of two positive COVID-19 tests among players.
Hockey Canada announced this week that players, coaches and staff at the camp have entered a 14-day quarantine retroactive to Monday. All camp activities will be paused until Dec. 6.
Among the Team Canada hopefuls is Lethbridge’s Ridly Greig.
Greig, who is at the camp alongside Lethbridge Hurricanes captain Dylan Cozens and former Lethbridge Val Matteotti bantam AAA Golden Hawk and current Vancouver Giants defenceman Bowen Byram, sat out the first week of camp after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this month.
But after his 14-day quarantine, the forward for the Brandon Wheat Kings and Ottawa Senators draft pick joined the selection camp Sunday.
The original announcement of the positive player tests came on Tuesday — three days after Hockey Canada said a “non-core member” of the team’s staff also tested positive. Hockey Canada said it was suspending all camp activities for the day, including a scheduled intrasquad game, at the time.
Both players and the staff have been in quarantine at the team’s hotel in Red Deer.
Players, coaches and staff all took mandatory COVID-19 tests upon arrival at the camp and have been tested regularly while there.
Hockey Canada is in the midst of their selection camp ahead of the 2021 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships in Edmonton that opens on Christmas Day.
“Hockey Canada has confirmed that all players, coaches and staff are considered close contacts and are therefore subject to the mandatory 14-day quarantine period under Alberta Health Services,” said senior vicepresident of national teams, Scott Salmond.
“Upon learning of the positive tests on Monday, the decision was made to suspend all camp activities and quarantine players and staff immediately. As per Hockey Canada’s safety protocols, all players, coaches and staff members will go through additional testing before resuming any camp activities.”