COVID emerges in the Western Hockey League

Less than a week after the World Junior Championships were cancelled because of an outbreak of COVID-19, the Western Hockey League announced an outbreak among one of its member teams.

Two Lethbridge Hurricanes games were postponed today because 14 players have tested positive for COVID or are displaying symptoms. The league cancelled today's game against the Calgary Hitmen and tomorrow's game against the Swift Current Broncos. 

The league had 36 players on the COVID protocol list five days ago, but hasn't released updated numbers. At that time, it listed just two Lethbridge Hurricanes with COVID.

No other team had so many players on the protocol list that games had to be postponed — two teams led the league with four players each. 

The list also included one player for the Kelowna Rockets and none from the Kamloops Blazers, although at the time of the release, it said it was awaiting results from the Blazers.

The World Junior Championships were played in Alberta this year but were cancelled after just four days after several games were forfeited because of COVID protocols. The National Hockey League has also had to postpone 90 games so far this year after COVID outbreaks on several teams and because several Canadian teams had to severely curtail attendance for local games.

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