Sudbury Wolves have 12 players with COVID-19, all team activities suspended
The Sudbury Wolves are dealing with a major COVID-19 outbreak, the Ontario Hockey League said Tuesday, forcing the team to suspend activities.
"All players affected are currently asymptomatic or exhibiting mild symptoms and the league and team will continue to monitor their well-being," the OHL said in a news release.
Wolves GM Rob Papineau said the issue emerged Sunday.
“We had one player that had mild symptoms, he had a headache and we ran a rapid test on Sunday," Papineau said.
"It came back positive so we tested the whole team Sunday evening and there were a few other positive tests that came out of that. So we worked with the health unit and they were outstanding.”
Many players didn't have symptoms, while others only have mild cases.
"Some of the guys were shocked when they found out," Papineau said. "The vaccines that our players have had have obviously kept this thing tempered and the guys are in as good as spirits as they can be."
He said the league has been very supportive and has done a great job communicating with them, as have families billeting players.
“We will make sure that all of the billet families get tested, as well," Papineau said. "I think we have the best billet families in the entire Ontario Hockey League -- and maybe in the entire country -- and they really do care about our players and they treat them like their own sons."
The suspension follows the OHL's COVID-19 protocols, which include mandatory vaccination for all members of the OHL community including players, staff, officials and billets.
"The OHL is working in consultation with the league’s independent chief medical officer, while the Wolves continue to follow the guidance of the Sudbury & District Health Unit," the release said.
As a result of the outbreak, several games have been postponed:
- Dec. 1 – Sudbury Wolves at Soo Greyhounds
- Dec. 3 – Barrie Colts at Sudbury Wolves
- Dec. 4 – Sudbury Wolves at Barrie Colts
"The OHL will not be identifying affected individuals, and will provide an update regarding future games along with the rescheduling of above matchups as information becomes available," the league said.
People who had tickets for the affected games can either exchange them when the games are rescheduled, or redeem them at the arena box office (open noon-4 p.m., Monday to Thursday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday) for any other remaining regular home game based on available seating.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.