07/11/20 08:09:00
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07/11 20:07 CDT Oilers' Green joins list of players opting out of NHL return
Oilers' Green joins list of players opting out of NHL return
By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Hockey Writer
Edmonton's Mike Green and Boston's Steven Kampfer are opting out. Dallas
defenseman Roman Polak isn't reporting for now, and Tampa Bay captain Steven
Stamkos isn't reporting at full strength.
In the aftermath of a deal being struck to resume the NHL season, Aug. 1,
Green, Kampfer and Vancouver's Sven Baertschi on Saturday joined Calgary
defenseman Travis Hamonic among players choosing not to participate in the
expanded 24-team playoffs.
"Due to the uncertainties surrounding COVID-19 and after much consideration,
I've decided for deeply personal family health reasons not to participate in
the return to play," Green said in a statement released by the Oilers.
Kampfer, who played 10 games with the Bruins this season, said his wife and son
have a congenital defect that could cause complications with the virus and
called it "one of the hardest decisions" he has had to make.
Polak is not on the Stars' roster for the start of training camp Monday, and a
team spokesman said the 34-year-old won't be attending at this time.
Polak is a pending free agent who last month agreed to a deal in his native
Czech Republic next season and told reporters there he wasn't planning on
returning to the NHL if play resumed. Baertschi, who spent most of this season
in the minors, is under contract through 2020-21.
"Sven informed us late yesterday that he has chosen to opt out of the NHL
return to play program," Canucks general manager Jim Benning said. "It was a
difficult decision but ultimately one we respect and understand."
The Lightning won't have Stamkos at 100% for the opening of camp because of a
lower-body injury, but they're optimistic he'll be ready when games get under
way in early August. GM Julien BriseBois said Stamkos fully recovered from core
muscle surgery in early March but was injured again during voluntary workouts.
"We don't have a specific timeline for when he will be a full participant in
camp, but we expect he will be ready in time for games," BriseBois said. "He's
here, he's skating, he's been getting treatment, he's been coming to Amalie
(Arena) doing his dry land work. But he will not be a full participant on Day
One of training camp."
While Stamkos has a better chance of being ready for Tampa Bay's next game than
he would have after surgery if the playoffs had started in mid-April, the
Flames will have to cope without Hamonic when they open their series against
Winnipeg on Aug. 1.
Hamonic became the first player to publicly choose not to play in light of the
coronavirus pandemic. Hamonic's daughter was hospitalized last year with
respiratory issues, and he and his wife also have a baby boy. Their health
concerns, not the soon-to-be 30-year-old's impending free agency, led him to
opt out.
"I wish I could lace up my skates and be out there battling, blocking a shot
and helping my team win, but my family has and always will come first," Hamonic
said. "Being my little kids' dad every day is the most important job I have. I
love this game and my team. This is a decision that is extremely hard for me to
make."
The Lightning already got a pandemic scare when three players and additional
staff tested positive for the novel coronavirus last month. The positive test
results forced the team to close its facilities for a brief period of time.
The Minnesota Wild, who face the Canucks in the qualifying round, ruled out
defenseman Greg Pateryn indefinitely with an upper-body injury. NHL deputy
commissioner Bill Daly said Saturday the league will be taking over injury and
illness disclosure from teams as a way of protecting player privacy.
"Medical privacy is important in this process," Daly said. "Having said that,
we understand as a league we have an obligation of some transparency with
respect to the COVID virus in particular, so at least for now we're going to
maintain a policy where the league is announcing on basically league numbers
and clubs are really prohibited from giving any information with respect to
COVID test results, and, for purposes of making the system work, any injury
information going forward."
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