In the NBA, the superstars James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo are currently among the non-operational basketball players and the NHL had to extend the forced break of the Calgary Flames until at least Saturday.
The number of postponed games in the ice hockey elite league this season is currently ten. A catch-up date has to be found for eight encounters. If too many encounters are canceled, it could affect the Olympic break and put the NHL stars’ participation in the Beijing Winter Olympics at risk. Because of the unclear quarantine rules in the event of a positive test in China with possibly up to five weeks in the country before the trip home, the skepticism of some NHL stars is growing anyway.
Edmonton Oilers star forward Connor McDavid said, “I’m still the guy who wants to go to the Olympics, of course, but we also want to make sure it’s safe for everyone, all athletes, not just ice hockey players.” According to the AP news agency, more than 140 NHL professionals were on the Corona list during the season. More than two dozen have been added in the past two days. In addition to Calgary, the Nashville Predators, Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes are also fighting against corona infections in the roster.
The NBA had to cancel two games of the Chicago Bulls this week because the team had too few usable players. The Brooklyn Nets played at 131: 129 after extra time on Tuesday with the minimum of eight eligible basketball players after Harden had to enter the league’s health and safety protocol. Of the more than 30 players who tested positive, 17 were either in the Bulls or the Nets roster. US media reported that the league is now considering mandatory booster vaccinations for coaches and staff.
The vaccination rate in the US leagues is significantly higher than that of the rest of the population. According to the NBA, 97 percent of all basketball professionals have been vaccinated twice, around 60 percent have already received a booster vaccination. As of November 30th, 94.5 percent of all NFL professionals were vaccinated. In the NHL, only four professionals were not vaccinated at the start of the season in October. In the United States, the nationwide vaccination rate is currently around 61 percent.
Source: Nachrichten
