A third player for the Colorado Avalanche has tested positive for coronavirus, the team announced on Tuesday. The anonymous player is currently in self-isolation, according to a statement released through the NHL's public relations Twitter account.
Statement from the @NHL regarding @Avalanche player. pic.twitter.com/gQO2WOXzEK
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 7, 2020
The last player on the team to test positive for COVID-19 was announced on March 28. At the time the announcement was made, the team said that the unnamed player was doing just fine. He was reportedly in self-isolation since his symptoms first manifested. Since then, however, he has appeared to have recovered from what originally was ailing him and is back to normal health, according to the team.
"The Avalanche have notified anyone who has had known close contact with the athlete," the team said in a statement. "The health and safety of our players, staff, fans, and community remains our highest priority. The Avalanche organization will continue to work in conjunction with our medical staff and public health officials to do everything we can to help the Avalanche community remain safe and healthy during this time."
This is not the first case of COVID-19 to be found in NHL players. The Ottawa Senators had two players test positive for the disease. The franchise had the first reported case of the respiratory virus in the league.
The NHL season has been on "pause," per the words of commissioner Gary Bettman, since March 13 shortly after the coronavirus first broke into the sports world in a major way with Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert testing positive for the disease.
