Unvaccinated NBA players get a 'National Interest Exemption' in Canada; won't apply to NHL

According to Sportsnet, NBA players who are unvaccinated will be able to enter Canada under a 'National Interest Exemption'.

This is big news for the NBA given that it was thought some of the league's unvaccinated players would be forced to miss any games in Canada for the 2021-22 season when facing the Toronto Raptors. With this new rule, that appears to no longer be the case. However, these players will not have exciting lives when visiting Canada. They will require testing upon entry, as well as league mandated testing, and will be restricted to their hotel and arena only.

Many have asked what this means for unvaccinated NHL players, given that it has been announced that some will not be able to play any games in Canada given rules around quarantining for those who aren't double-dosed. The short answer is nothing. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told a reporter in an email that the NHL did not apply for an exemption. He had in an interview recently that this was likely the route the league would take as there were only a handful of unvaccinated players.

Tyler Bertuzzi of the Detroit Red Wings is the most high-profile player in the NHL who will be impacted by the rules. He will lose out on about half a million dollars as he is not vaccinated has to limit his games to those taking place in the US.

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