Vancouver Canucks power forward Jake Virtanen hasn’t exactly had himself a quiet quarantine these past few months. First off… he posted a seemingly harmless video to Instagram earlier this spring that was ultimately deleted.
Here’s the video re-posted by a fan online:
So… what’s the problem you may be asking?
Filming or operating a cell phone while driving a vehicle is against the law in the province of British Columbia. Oopsie…
The NHL initially tweeted the video but then quickly deleted it, presumably after someone realized the illegality of Virtanen’s actions. The fine for distracted driving in BC is $368 for a first offence and four driver’s penalty points.
Then on Tuesday night Virtanen shared a video online of him and some friends enjoying themselves at Vancouver nightclub Celebrities. The video has since been deleted, but it showed Virtanen and friends bro-ing out at the nightclub with apparently no physical distancing in place, no masks and... well no real regard for anything really.
Again… what’s the big deal you might be asking? The nightclub is operating legally and Virtanen isn't breaking any laws.
Well… opinions on whether or not this is appropriate given all the precautions the NHL is taking in its Return to Play plan. I’m not here to judge, but suffice it to say that reaction to Virtanen’s evening festivities are decidedly mixed online.
In any case, Virtanen has evidently been reprimanded by the Canucks for his "behaviour".
Check it out:
“Jake is not yet in phase 2 of the NHL’s return to play plan, nor is he in quarantine. He’ll be tested before he re-joins the team for any training,” the statement reads."
According to the NHL protocol “players are permitted to return to NHL Club training facilities for voluntary small-group individualized training activities. In addition, Clubs are not permitted to require Players to return to the Club’s home city so they can complete a quarantine requirement in time to participate in Phase 2.”
Training for the team started Tuesday at Rogers Arena.
Some Twitter users have taken to the social media platform to condemn Virtanen’s actions while some are defending him.
