Women's hockey game between Canada and Russia delayed after Canada refuses to hit the ice

In the very early hours of Monday morning for those in North America, Canada and Russia were set to hit the ice in women's hockey at the 2022 Winter Olympics. However, the start to the game was delayed after the women with Team Canada refused to hit the ice as they had not received the COVID-19 test results from the Russians.

In all, the start of the game was delayed over an hour. Canada never did get Russia's test result before the puck dropped, but did request that the Russian team wear masks. ROC agreed on the condition that Canada wear them as well. Canada agreed, and went on to win the game 6-1.

It's important to remember the game meant little to the Russian team. Its chances at a medal in women's hockey are slim to none. For Canada, on the other hand, positive tests following this game could have meant the difference between the gold and finishing out of the top three spots completely. Six members of the ROC team were placed in isolation last week after testing positive. Following the game, the Russian Hockey Federation released a statement that contained this explanation:

"Both teams passed the tests in advance in the morning, in full accordance with the rules of the tournament - before 9:00 local time. However, by the scheduled start time of the match, no data had been received from the laboratory. IIHF President Luc Tardif, together with the director of the International Federation of Legal Affairs Ashley Ehlert, was present at the arena - and decided to postpone the start of the meeting by one hour."

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