Toronto set to begin a 28-day lock down, Leafs will be exempt and may continue to practice

With a city-wide 28-day lock down taking effect on Monday due to the spike in COVID-19 cases in Toronto, there has been a growing concern about what will happen with the Maple Leafs if the NHL gives the green light for training camps to begin in early-to-mid December.

According to The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta, a city official in Toronto has confirmed that should NHL training camps begin prior to the end of the city's lock down, professional athletes will be allowed to continue on with their training and practice schedules.

This is wonderful news for the Leafs and for hockey fans around the country who remain hopeful for a hockey season in 2020-21, despite the second wave of the virus coming on strong.

Obviously, it goes without saying that elevated COVID-19 exposure controls would be put in place in all training facilities and players will be expected to practice social distancing and keep their circles very small to avoid a possible outbreak reaching the locker room.

I would imagine that similar exemptions would be provided to professional athletes in other provinces as well, including in British Columbia, [where the Canucks reside] who are also feeling the effects of a second wave of the virus.

The NHL has already shown its ability to prevent the virus from entering locker rooms, albeit in a bubble setting, but it is admittedly a much larger task to do so without the same level of control that a bubble provides. Still, we remain hopeful that hockey will resume in January, so long as the league can preserve the safety of its players, personnel and fans.

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