Bob McKenzie breaks down Team USA forfeit situation as more games could be forfeited

On Tuesday, defending champion United States forfeited that night’s game against Switzerland at the World Junior men’s hockey championship because two players tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

The team was placed in a mandated quarantine. The players be evaluated later to determine whether Team USA can compete in its next preliminary round game against Sweden on Wednesday.

Ahead of the second preliminary round game between Team Canada and Austria, TSN’s Bob McKenzie took the time to break down the situation affecting the American, how it all happened and what it means for the tournament. He posted the information on social media in several tweets. We copied and pasted the details here below, but you can also find the link to see McKenzie’s posts on Twitter.

“Both players on Team USA who tested positive are asymptomatic and feeling fine.
Late last night Team USA was told one of their three goaltenders tested positive. Shortly after that, overnight, Team USA found out one of its 14 forwards also tested positive.

This morning the two players who tested positive and their roommates were isolated into four separate rooms. The rest of the team was immediately put into hotel-room quarantine, awaiting further test results from today and tomorrow.

All members of Team USA were tested this morning and those results will come back later tonight and/or overnight. A second set of testing will be done tomorrow morning (potential game day vs. SWE) and expedited results will be returned prior to 4 p.m. MT.

In order for Team USA players to be cleared to play vs. SWE tomorrow night, they would require two negative tests in a 24-hour period. That is the path to Team USA being able to play vs. SWE. What happens if there are more positive tests from today’s or tomorrow’s testing?

Not all positive tests are created equal. For example, if the roommate of one of the original positive test players were to be positive that would be less threatening to Team USA return to play hopes than if another player tests positive.

More positive tests tonight and/or tomorrow would require the IIHF eight-person medical committee to make a determination on the potential impact not only on Team USA but also Team Sweden.

Suffice to say, Team USA is exasperated because they say their players have followed the tourney protocols. Players are not in locked down bubble like last year, more of a semi-controlled environment. And their positive players are asymptomatic.

But the IIHF protocols are put in place in concert with the federal government health agencies and provincial Alberta Health. And the protocols are the protocols. These protocols were put in place in November before the Omicron variant had fully run amok.

Some protocols were stiffened on arrival in Alberta due to the rapidly changing Covid landscape. Such as daily testing and the two negative tests in 24 hours to get out of quarantine. There’s no choice now but to follow the protocols as it relates to positive tests/forfeits etc.”