“No surprise”: the NHL confirmed the first case of hockey player infection with coronavirus

“The Ottawa player’s test showed a positive result.”

Information that one of the Ottawa Senators hockey players was diagnosed with coronavirus appeared even the day before. Then the famous journalist Eliott Friedman wrote about this in his social networks. At the same time, he did not name the sick person.

And soon the club officially confirmed these data. Senators on the official website talked about the athlete’s state of health, but also did not reveal his identity. The club referred to the Ontario Provincial Privacy Act and only noted that the hockey player was currently isolated.

“A test for the COVID-19 virus passed by Ottawa Senators showed a positive result. He had mild symptoms and is now in isolation. The club is currently notifying everyone who has had close contact with the athlete, as well as working with doctors and public health representatives. Because of this positive virus test, all Ottawa employees are asked to remain isolated, monitor their health and seek the advice of our team’s medical staff, ”the statement reads.

Ottawa also noted that the health of hockey players and fans will always remain in the first place for the club.

“We will continue to do everything possible so that our players, employees, fans and the community as a whole remain healthy and be safe during this period of uncertainty due to the spread of coronavirus,” the text says.

This is the first case of NHL hockey player coronavirus. League commissioner Harry Betmann admitted that his incident did not surprise.

“We stopped the season on Thursday, before this event. We considered the inevitable infection of one of the players or staff, and were not going to wait until this happened ... We hope that the ill hockey player will recover quickly and be isolated so as not to contribute to the spread of the pandemic. The fact of infection was not a surprise, ”Bettman quotes The Hockey News.

At the same time, they checked their players for the virus in Anaheim Ducks with the Los Angeles Kings. It was these teams that became Ottawa's last rivals in the regular championship. On March 11, the Senators lost to Anaheim - 2: 5, and on the 12th - to Los Angeles - 2: 3. In this case, both wards of Dee Jay Smith spent on the road. But in the end, both in that and in another club they said that they did not identify coronavirus infected in their ranks.

"Talked with Nikita, he is fine"

And later, details unpleasant for domestic sports appeared. According to a number of Russian media, the Ottawa player who was diagnosed with the disease turned out to be Russian defender Nikita Zaitsev, who joined Ottawa last year. This season, a native of Moscow has 12 points for performance in 58 matches of the regular season.

Zaitsev himself has not yet commented on these rumors, but the father of the athlete Igor Zaitsev denied them.

“I myself read everything in the Russian media. Communicated with Nikita, he’s fine, he has no coronavirus, ”Sport24 quotes Igor Zaitsev.

However, the defender himself has recently been clearly not up to hockey. His name regularly appeared in the secular chronicle in connection with the conflict with his ex-wife Margarita. Currently, legal proceedings are ongoing regarding guardianship of their common children. The woman accuses the ex-spouse of their abduction.

It is interesting that Zaitsev was not the first Russian speaker in the NHL who was suspected of having a coronavirus. Earlier, similar rumors concerned striker “Dallas” Alexander Radulov. According to media reports, the striker trained separately from the team. He himself denied this.

“I am healthy, I do not have and did not have a virus. Have a nice day, everyone. Wash your hands, ”wrote Radulov on his Instagram page.

And later the club checked the Russian for coronavirus, and his test actually gave a negative result. Not found the disease and the defender of "Arizona" Aaron Ness.

But one of the employees of "Vancouver" really turned out to be infected with a virus. This is officially confirmed in the club. The man was placed under home quarantine. At the same time, he did not contact either the coaching staff or hockey players, but worked in an office that was immediately closed.

How the coronavirus got to Durant

In the NBA, the first coronavirus-infected basketball player appeared a week ago. They became the French center “Utah Jazz” Rudy Gober. But just a couple of days before that, the athlete allowed himself jokes on the topic of this disease. So, at a press conference, he specially touched the microphones set in front of him and wiped his hands on the table.

Later, the entire team, as well as its rivals from the Oklahoma City Thunder, were quarantined right at the Cheespeak Energy Arena. The next day, the NBA season was suspended for at least a month.

And on Wednesday, one of the main stars of the league Kevin Durant became infected with the coronavirus. The Brooklyn Nets basketball player is reportedly feeling well. At the same time, this season he did not go to the floor due to an injury. Earlier, four of his teammates passed a positive test for coronavirus.