The NHL's deputy commissioner said the COVID-19 outbreak on the Vancouver Canucks is concerning, but Bill Daly remains confident the team will be able to complete its schedule.
Daly said in an email to The Canadian Press that the league believes the Canucks will return and conclude their 56-game schedule. He also said the league will not change its COVID-19 protocols in the aftermath of the Canucks' situation.
The team has had four games postponed because of the coronavirus. As of Monday, 17 Canucks players were in the league's COVID-19 protocol with the addition of rookie forward Nils Hoglander. It marked the fifth straight day the Canucks' list has grown. The 17 players in the protocol at the same time represents the most by one NHL team since the New Jersey Devils had 18 on Feb. 12.
Being on the list does not necessarily mean that a player has tested positive.
Sources told ESPN's Emily Kaplan that not all players who tested positive were symptomatic, but many were. However, sources told Kaplan that some players who were in "rough shape" saw their conditions improve over the weekend. Several members of the team spent the weekend self-isolating at a local hotel, hoping not to infect their families.
"Things are looking better," one Canucks source said. "But we're not out of the clear yet."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.