Rick Zamperin: NHL extends coronavirus isolation period until April 30

For the third time since the coronavirus pandemic put a halt to NHL games, the league has extended its quarantine period for players and staff until April 30.

The National Hockey League announced the postponement of the 2019-20 season on March 12, leaving 189 regular-season games hanging in the balance, and allowed players to leave their teams, many of whom have returned to their homes across North America and Europe.

Since the season was paused, we have learned that eight players have tested positive for COVID-19, five from the Ottawa Senators and three from the Colorado Avalanche.

The great unknown, of course, remains the timeline for when life as we once knew — or something very close to it — can resume while the pandemic remains in place.

If the NHL announces a return to action in May, or even later, commissioner Gary Bettman has said that the league would likely hold a two- or three-week training camp before playing any meaningful games.

The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs would have been underway this week, but like all other sporting events, NHL arenas are silent.

But that’s not to say that the NHL isn’t thinking about several different scenarios for the resumption of play.

“We’re exploring and want to be prepared for every option whatever circumstances present themselves,” Bettman said. “We haven’t ruled anything in and we haven’t ruled anything out and we will be prepared to go in whatever direction makes sense at the time.”

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Several ideas are being discussed for when the season resumes, most notably, playing regular-season games and some sort of playoff format and delaying the start of the 2020-21 campaign, as well as playing neutral site games away from COVID-19 hot spots in places like Saskatoon and Grand Forks, N.D.

The NHL has done well in its handling of the coronavirus crisis and it appears that the league is in no rush to resume play as long as the wellbeing of the public, and its players and staff, are at risk.

While the thought of hockey resuming, hopefully sometime soon, is greatly exciting, the question of when remains a big buzzkill.