The NHL could join the NBA in easing up on restrictions for fully vaccinated players

Following the NBA/NBPA reaching agreement on Wednesday to ease COVID-19 related restrictions for players who have been fully vaccinated, Sportsnet's Chris Johnston suggests that the NHL could be slowly moving in that direction as well.

Some of the perks of the NBA's agreement to ease up on restrictions for vaccinated players involve the ability to be mask-free in practice facilities, avoiding daily testing, allowing visitors to be in close proximity to a player both at home and on the road, no need to quarantine after exposure to the COVID-19 virus and more.

Johnston also took the time to point out that a key part to the NBA's memo is that these restrictions would not be eased until 85% of the players and staff of any given team have been vaccinated and that the perks would not kick in until two weeks after they've all received their second doses of the vaccine.

Some NHL players have repertedly already begun receiving vaccinations, where doses are available to the public. Of course, there has been plenty of dialogue about whether or not it's ethical to even begin dosing healthy, able-bodied people, such as professional athletes, before the most vulnerable cohorts have all been looked after, but without mandates from both State and Federal governments prioritizing those cohorts, it's really not for us to judge players who, presumably, just want to look after themselves and their families.

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