Canada’s top junior male hockey players returned to the ice Tuesday following a 14-day quarantine, although there were fewer of them.
Five players were released from Canada’s selection camp roster in Red Deer, Alta., because they were “unfit to continue to play based on return-to-play protocols,” according to Hockey Canada senior vice-president of national teams Scott Salmond.
Defencemen Matthew Robertson, Mason Millman and Daemon Hunt and forwards Ridly Greig and Xavier Simoneau were sent home.
Canada’s camp was suspended on Nov. 26 after two players and one non-core staff member tested positive for COVID-19.
The world junior hockey championship is scheduled to start on Dec. 25.
The nine other international teams are scheduled to arrive by charter flight Dec. 13. Exhibition games are planned for Dec. 20-23.
Hockey Canada’s vice-president of events, Dean McIntosh, insists stringent protocols and testing required for international players to enter Edmonton’s “bubble” will make the world junior championship safe to proceed.
READ MORE: BCHL postpones regular season until new year
Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
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