PM Trudeau: NHL players would need to follow quarantine if season resumes

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday that if the NHL season resumes, players who fly into Canada while the border remains closed would need to follow quarantine policies due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

"I think it's a question we'll have to look into," Trudeau said in a press briefing, according to The Canadian Press. "Certainly, at a strict minimum, anyone who arrives from another country will have to follow all the rules of quarantine in an extremely strict manner, but we're not there yet in our discussions with the NHL.

"We recognize that it's a possibility, but it depends on an enormous amount of things, and I don't want to speculate on this until there's more discussion."

The NHL has reportedly discussed stationing teams in up to four hub cities not deemed to be coronavirus hotspots in order to complete its season, with Toronto and Columbus, Ohio, apparently being considered the front-runners. Edmonton is also reportedly bidding to host some of the season's remaining games.

On Wednesday, the NHL and NHLPA said in a joint statement that they may be able to move onto "Phase 2" of a return plan by mid-to-late-May. At that point, teams would be allowed to begin opening practice facilities for small group workouts.

It was reported in April that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman had plans to connect directly with Trudeau to discuss potential testing options for the coronavirus.

Eight NHL players had tested positive for COVID-19, but all have since recovered.

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Perfetti’s junior coach: ‘He’s the best player in this draft’

Saginaw Spirit center Cole Perfetti finished second among all CHL skaters with 111 points this season, but concerns over his size and speed could cause him to fall out of the top five in the 2020 NHL Draft.

For his part, Spirit head coach Chris Lazary thinks any team that passes on Perfetti would be making a huge mistake.

“It does not matter if you’re faster. It matters how you think and process and break teams down and cut laterally," Lazary told The Athletic's Scott Wheeler. "And I don't think there’s a better player in this draft than Cole Perfetti at doing that. I know I'm his coach but I think he's the best player in this draft because of that."

Rimouski Oceanic winger Alexis Lafreniere is the consensus top player in this year's draft, while many project Sudbury Wolves pivot Quinton Byfield to go No. 2 overall. However, Lazary believes Perfetti will be better than both of them in the prime of his career.

"I try to picture him at 24 or 25 with his skill set as he gets stronger, like who will be a better player than Cole Perfetti? To me, it's nobody," he said.

Perfetti, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 177 pounds, produced 37 goals and 74 assists in 61 games with the Spirit this season. NHL Central Scouting ranks him fifth among North American skaters, but Marco Rossi, who ranks sixth, could end up going ahead of Perfetti on draft day. As could a handful of European skaters, including Tim Stutzle and Alexander Holtz.

The NHL could reportedly hold its draft as early as June 5.

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Quarantine Power Rankings: Who was the isolation GOAT this week?

Athletes everywhere continue to get creative as they deal with their respective leagues being on hiatus. Some are better at it than others. Every Sunday throughout May, we'll look back on the week that was before crowning a quarantine king or queen. Here are the top isolation moments from the sports world over the last seven days.

10. Gallagher finally learning French

Brendan Gallagher is bored and won't stop TikTok-ing. We hope he never stops. If we're being honest, as an alternate captain with the Montreal Canadiens, it's about time Gallagher learns some French.

9. Holly Holm celebrates her new ride

Former UFC women's bantamweight champion Holly Holm picked up a new car this week, and it was exactly what she wanted. Naturally, it was mandatory that she bust out some celebratory moves.

8. Aguero's clever decorating decisions

Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero has won a record seven Premier League Player of the Month awards. The Argentine put one of the keepsakes to good use as a makeshift platform for his PS4 camera while playing FIFA. This is, as the kids say, a flex.

7. No rest for The King

While many of us have already devoured through most of our quarantine pantry at this point, leave it to LeBron James to remind us all that some of us are just built differently.

6. Adam Wainwright: Insomniac Troubadour

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright had trouble sleeping early this week, so he hosted a mini-concert with his trusty guitar and smooth vocal stylings.

5. An NBA fender bender

Allow this hilarious tale involving Nick "Swaggy P" Young and Los Angeles Lakers center JaVale McGee to remind you that it's truly a small world after all.

4. 'Greg Olsen' has seriously aged

The Seattle Seahawks are still working while in quarantine, and they received a surprise guest appearance during their virtual meeting from Will Ferrell, who crashed the team's Zoom gathering pretending to be tight end Greg Olsen.

3. Doolittle discovers AI meme generator

Washington Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle found the perfect way to while away his time during the pandemic by stumbling on the AI meme generator. It's a descent into random absurdity that only gets funnier as more nonsense memes get plucked from the ether.

2. How much do you trust OBJ?

You've heard about trust falls, but what about trust catches? Cleveland Browns star Odell Beckham Jr. is known for his one-handed grabs, so much so that one of his friends put his face on the line to help show off OBJ's one-handed abilities.

1. Matthews, Andersen perfectly in sync

Maple Leafs stars Auston Matthews and Frederik Andersen are quarantining far from Toronto and seem to be making the most of it. Both the delivery and the finish on this alley-oop are perfect. Their place doesn't look too shabby, either.

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Watch: Panarin practices patented leg kick while painting wall

Artemi Panarin is clearly making the most of the NHL's hiatus.

The New York Rangers star showed off his multitasking skills Saturday, sharing a video on Instagram in which he took time to perfect his follow-through and leg-kick celebration while putting a fresh coat of paint on the wall.

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Practicing my power play finish

A post shared by Артемий Панарин (@artemiypanarin) on

Panarin started incorporating the leg kick into his goal celebrations earlier this season.

The Russian sniper was a Hart Trophy candidate at the time of the shutdown, sitting in a tie for third in the league's points race while helping the resurgent Rangers join the playoff hunt.

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Sharks’ Kane wants NHL to show more personality

Evander Kane is hoping the NHL and his fellow players do a better job of showcasing what makes them special when the league gets back up and running.

"It's part of hockey culture to shy away from a lot of things," the San Jose Sharks forward told TSN's Mark Masters on Friday. "The more we embrace uniqueness and people's differences and use it to our advantage, the greater our league is going to be."

Kane, who's long been one of the league's most outspoken players, emphasized how important exposure is to furthering the game.

"I wouldn't say there's a ton of guys lined up willing to do their own reality TV show or wanting to be in front of the camera at all times, so that's on us as players to want to embrace that side of the game a bit more and help the sport grow a bit more, especially when it comes to the United States," he said.

"People need to see our faces," he added. "People need to know who we are because, as biased as I may be, I think hockey's the greatest sport by far on Earth and we don't get enough credit as players and our league doesn't get enough respect for what we do."

Kane has rarely shied away from the public eye. He criticized the NHL Department of Player Safety following a suspension in February and called a linesman's actions "an absolute joke" after the league suspended him in September.

The veteran winger also continues to take part in an ongoing feud with Vegas Golden Knights grinder Ryan Reaves, saying earlier this week that he enjoys it and that the rivalry makes things "entertaining for fans."

Kane posed nude for ESPN's Body Issue last year and has also called out racism directed toward him on Instagram.

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Laraque: Battle with COVID-19 the ‘worst thing ever’

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Former NHL enforcer Georges Laraque offered a blunt assessment of the symptoms he's experiencing when asked about his battle with COVID-19.

"It's the worst thing ever. It takes all my energy just to get up," Laraque told NHL.com's William Douglas.

Laraque announced he was diagnosed with the disease on Thursday. The 43-year-old told Douglas he began feeling ill Monday and doctors prescribed medication for slightly swollen lungs. After not getting any better, Laraque then went back to the doctor and was diagnosed with the coronavirus.

"Now, after the COVID attacked my lungs, I can't even get up to go brush my teeth without struggling," Laraque said.

He had been training for a marathon in recent weeks, but Laraque is now in a Montreal hospital for the foreseeable future while recovering.

Laraque spent 12 years in the NHL, logging stints with the Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Phoenix Coyotes, and Montreal Canadiens.

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Report: Habs, Kings, Devils interested in KHL’s top-scoring D-man

The Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, and New Jersey Devils are among teams that have interest in Mikko Lehtonen, the KHL's top-scoring defenseman from 2019-20, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox.

The Helsinki Jokerit and Lehtonen mutually agreed to terminate his contract on Friday so he could pursue an NHL career.

The 26-year-old tallied 17 goals and 32 assists in 60 games this season. His 49 points led the Jokerit and were the sixth-most among all KHL skaters.

Lehtonen has represented Finland numerous times on the international stage. He was a part of the nation's 2019 World Championship squad that, despite having just one NHLer, defeated Canada in the gold-medal game. Lehtonen had seven points in 10 games in the tournament. He also won gold with Finland at the 2014 world juniors.

The Habs, Kings, and Devils all have openings on the blue line for next season, specifically for a left-handed defenseman like Lehtonen.

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Report: Oilers ‘full steam ahead’ in bid to host games if season resumes

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The Edmonton Oilers are "full steam ahead" in their bid to be one of the NHL's hosts for games if the season resumes this summer," TSN's Ryan Rishaug reported Friday.

The process is "looking fairly optimistic," as Alberta health officials have been open to speaking with the Oilers and further talks are planned for next week to discuss how hosting games in Edmonton could potentially work, according to Rishaug.

Though no decisions have been made, the NHL has reportedly intensified talks about a potential plan to station teams at up to four hub cities not deemed to be coronavirus hotspots, where the season would be completed. Toronto and Columbus are apparently among the leading contenders.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Wednesday that the league hopes to move to the second stage of an eventual return over the next month. At that point, teams would be allowed to begin opening practice facilities for small group workouts.

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