Dec 29: Another game has been forfeited, this time by Czechia. Finland will receive a 1-0 victory after a Czech player tested positive last night. The team will enter a quarantine like the U.S. and its status for tomorrow’s game against Austria is still to be determined.
For Team USA there might be some good news, as Bob McKenzie of TSN suggests that though the two players who tested positive have had that confirmed, the rest of the team is waiting for results this afternoon that could make them eligible to play against Sweden.
A few hours later, McKenzie reports that Russia has also forfeited a game due to a positive test. Slovakia will get the 1-0 win, and Russia’s upcoming games are now in question.
Dec 28: The IIHF has announced that Team USA has been forced into a mandatory quarantine period at the World Juniors after two players tested positive for COVID-19. Because they are unable to participate in the scheduled game against Switzerland today, the U.S. has forfeited the match. It will be recorded as a 1-0 Swiss victory. The team’s quarantine status will be evaluated later on to determine if they will be able to participate in the next preliminary round game, scheduled for tomorrow against Sweden. Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets that the positive test results could involve the team’s goaltending, though official word on player status has not been released.
Of note in a case like this, the IIHF decided not to include relegation for this year’s tournament because of the possibility of a series of forfeits, should a team experience a COVID outbreak. The U.S. is not in danger of falling out of the top division, though this obviously puts their chances at a medal in jeopardy. Switzerland and Russia will now be tied with Team USA in the Group B standings with one win and one loss. Should they also be forced to forfeit tomorrow’s game against the Swedes, it would be a difficult path to the quarter-finals.
The U.S. played Slovakia on December 26, who then played Sweden last night. Because of the condensed timeline of the event, it’s easy to see how an early outbreak could run rampant and end up putting the entire tournament in jeopardy.
John Vanbiesbrouck, general manager of the U.S. squad, released a statement:
We’re extremely disappointed, especially for our players. We’re operating in an ever-changing landscape and that’s very challenging. We’ve followed the tournament protocol from the outset and will continue to do everything we can to ensure our players have the opportunity to compete at the World Junior Championship.
So it begins,like I said this tournament should not be taking place young men getting COVID and possibly risking their JR teams with it..Makes no sense….$$$$ that’s it…
i mean, arent they just as likely to get covid simply while playing for their regular clubs?
Almost the same but not quite. The tournament means lots of players staying in the same location much longer than a regular single game series.
Plus the concentration of players makes it much harder to isolate them.
And, again, because the tournament lasts for days family, friends and fans are all more likely to be concentrated as well
But your point is still good. The question is always risk vs reward.
yeah but arent the numbers of players on, say, a WHL or OHL club probably about the same as on a WJC team?
Let the circus begin…
While I appreciate the optimism and I enjoy the WJHC more than any other brand of hockey, it’s unlikely this tournament goes the distance.
It certainly won’t if they keep constantly testing insanely healthy, vaccinated, teenagers.
Insanely healthy teenagers, vaxxed or not.
Cancel the tournament. Lockdown the countries. People are suffering.
You must live in Canada? You can lockdown and live in a bubble if you want. Yes this virus has been deadly especially for the vulnerable but the virus is spread by the vaccinated just as much as the in vaccinated! That is a fact. This virus not killing healthy young sports professional players. Why would you lock down the sport? Let them play if they have no symptoms and don’t test if they don’t have symptoms! It’s simple.
And the insanity continues. There is almost no chance that a player or two won’t test positive for the ‘rona, so the whole exercise of sending these kids to the tournament was doomed from the outset. Total jokefest.
No surprise it was U.S.A. Do they have any players from texas/Florida.
Joe Rogan plays for team USA that horse dewormer guy
Be sure to snug up your mask with your dirty hands. Lots of heavy mouth breathing here.
*eye roll* to suggest that covid only affects those states. regionalism like this isnt going to solve any of our issues.
You mean the Texas and Florida that are at the bottom of daily new ‘rona cases while the heavily vaxxed northeast is surging in new cases?
Not that it matters because this is basically a head cold now.
Russia now is under quarantine