Carolina Hurricanes not reopening facilities for voluntary player workouts
.jpg "Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas (88) battles Detroit Red Wings center Robby Fabbri during their NHL game March 10, 2020, in Detroit. The Canes won 5-2 in their last game before the NHL paused the season. AP Photo/Duane Burleson)")
As of Monday, the NHL was allowing teams to hold small, voluntary group workouts as the second phase of its return-to-play format officially began.
While several teams planned to reopen their facilities for the players, the Carolina Hurricanes made the decision to wait. A team official said Monday that there were about seven or eight players in the area, but by mutual agreement they would continue to train on their own for now.
While the NHL and NHL Players Association agreed on Phase 2 and its rollout, there has been no date announced for a start of team training camps — or when Phase 3 will start. The best guess has been between mid-July at the earliest, but the league continues to consult with health officials about the coronavirus pandemic and work on the safety precautions and other logistics necessary in getting everyone back on the ice and competing.
The Arizona Coyotes and Pittsburgh Penguins are reopening their facilities for the voluntary workouts, which are limited to no more than six players on the ice at a time. According to NHL.com, the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights are expected to open up as well.
Canes captain Jordan Staal, in a recent Zoom video interview, said his training the past few months has involved “whatever you can get your hands on.” He said he’s been riding a stationary bike to “keep the heart rate at the right spot” along with some weight training.
“Basically just doing what you can to keep yourself in the best shape you can,” Staal said. “In talking to the group, everybody has kind of been doing the same and doing a good job keeping up, making sure we’re as close as we can to being 100 percent when we get going.
“It’s going to be different. There’s going to be some interesting hurdles.”
The NHL suspended play March 12 because of the rapid spread of COVID-19, joining the other major leagues in first postponing and eventually canceling regular-season games. The Canes last played March 10 against the Detroit Red Wings, taking a 5-2 road victory and, at the time, maintaining their hold on the first wildcard playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
The NHL and NHLPA have agreed on a 24-team return-to-play format, with the teams divided at two “hub” cities that are still to be announced. After best-of-five qualifying rounds, the 16-team Stanley Cup playoffs will be conducted in best-of-seven series and a 2020 champion determined.
The Canes and Tampa Bay Lightning were the only two teams that voted against the format, which in effect added an extra playoff round, with three more wins needed to secure the Cup. The Canes are scheduled to face the New York Rangers in their qualifying round series.
“The goal is to win the Stanley Cup and obviously this gives a lot more teams a chance at it,” Canes forward Jordan Martinook said in a recent Zoom interview. “I know everybody on our team wants to win it, wants to come back and play.”
The Canes hope to open their new practice facility at the Wake Competition Center in July. The players have used PNC Arena and the Raleigh Center Ice facility for voluntary workouts in past years before the start of training camp.
The Coyotes, in a news release, detailed how they were approaching group workouts at Gila River Arena in Phase 2. It began Monday with medical evaluations as all players and staff were to be tested for COVID-19. The plan was for the on-ice workouts to begin Thursday.
Arizona said: “All individuals expecting to enter Gila River Arena will have completed a remote educational meeting prior to arriving at the rink. Club personnel will be divided into two groups, ‘Player Access’ and ‘No Player Access.’ ... The players will train in groups of six and must remain socially distant during both on- and off-ice sessions. Player groups will have specific arrival and departure times, as well as designated non-contact points of entry/exit to the building.”
Neither the media nor fans will be admitted for the workouts.
This story was originally published June 8, 2020 at 11:33 AM.
