[ad_1]
NBA
NBA players who test positive for COVID-19 now have a faster path to return to the game, after the league completed a major update to its health and safety protocols on Monday.
Biggest change: Isolation periods for players who test positive can now be significantly shortened – up to six days from the usual 10 – provided those players are asymptomatic and meet other standards of test. The teams were made aware of the new protocols on Monday in a memo sent by the league, a copy of which was obtained by the Associated Press.
This note was sent the same day that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reduced isolation restrictions for Americans who catch the coronavirus from 10 days to five days.
NHL
The NHL is expected to resume Tuesday with three games on the schedule after a long vacation break.
The defending Stanley Cup champion, the Tampa Bay Lightning, will not have an NHL goalie or coach for a final rematch against the Montreal Canadiens.
Coach Peter DeBoer is out for the Vegas Golden Knights game in Los Angeles.
The league has postponed three more games scheduled for later this week to bring the total to 70 this season. The Chicago game in Winnipeg and a home and away series between Dallas and Colorado are the latest to be rescheduled.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommending shorter periods of isolation could help the NHL and other leagues get through.
College athletics
The Arizona Bowl was canceled Monday night after Boise State pulled out and closed all team activities due to COVID-19 issues within the program.
The Broncos were scheduled to play at Central Michigan at Arizona Stadium on Friday, but have instead joined many college basketball programs that have been hit by coronavirus concerns following the Christmas vacation.
Arizona Bowl sponsor Barstool Sports tweeted that it had made the “tough decision” to cancel the game, which would have been shown on its multiple platforms.
Central Michigan will instead face Washington State at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, replacing Miami in a game that will air on CBS.
College basketball will also have a significantly lighter schedule this week after the pandemic caused several games to be canceled or postponed.
SKI
Two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin is the last elite skier to test positive for COVID-19 with the Beijing Games in less than six weeks.
“I wanted to let you know I’m fine, but unfortunately I had a positive COVID test,†the American wrote on her social media accounts on Monday. “I follow protocol and isolate myself.”
Shiffrin said she will miss the World Cup giant slalom and slalom races scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday respectively in Lienz, Austria, adding: “I will see you in the new year.”
The Beijing Olympics open on February 4.
OLYMPIC GAMES
David Quinn was supposed to be Mike Sullivan’s coaching assistant for the United States men’s hockey team at the upcoming Winter Olympics.
After the NHL decided not to send players to Beijing, Quinn is now the coach of the United States and John Vanbiesbrouck is the last USA Hockey first quarter GM to plan B for other Olympics without the best players. hockey in the world.
Vanbiesbrouck is the third person to take charge of preparations for the Olympic roster after Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin replaced Stan Bowman, who resigned after an investigation revealed he had played a Leading role in mismanaging the Chicago Blackhawks’ sexual assault allegations in 2010. Guerin stepped down when the NHL pulled out.
COURTS
CHICAGO (AP) – A lawsuit against the Chicago Blackhawks by a former Michigan high school student who said he was sexually assaulted by former assistant coach Brad Aldrich has been dismissed, a lawyer said on Monday.
Susan Loggans, who represents the former student, told The Associated Press that an order in the case was made last week in Cook County Circuit Court. She declined to comment on the dismissal or the order.
The Blackhawks also declined to comment on Monday.
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
[ad_2]
