Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid tests positive for COVID-19

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers say Connor McDavid has tested positive for COVID-19.

The NHL team made the announcement on Twitter on Monday night.

The Oilers say their team captain is self-quarantining at home and experiencing mild symptoms. The team added that McDavid is feeling well.

The NHL made it through its post-season in so-called bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton without one positive test in August and September. McDavid’s Oilers were eliminated in the opening round of the post-season in Edmonton in early August.

The league did have players test positive before the post-season. The NHL said 30 players tested positive during voluntary training in Phase 2 of its return-to-play plan earlier in the summer, while another 13 had the virus outside the Phase 2 protocol.

Two more positive tests were reported during training camp, which was considered Phase 3.

Six members of the Ottawa Senators organization tested positive for COVID-19 after the team made a trip through hard-hit California just before the league suspended its season in March.

The NHL stopped releasing the identities of names or teams for positive tests earlier this year. However, Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Auston Matthews confirmed he had COVID-19 in the aftermath of published reports.

McDavid, a 23-year-old native of Newmarket, Ont., was second in NHL scoring last season with 97 points.

The four-time all-star won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player in 2017.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 5, 2020.

The Canadian Press