BEIJING, China The following is a statement on behalf of Hockey Canada from Gina Kingsbury, director of womens national teams, on the delayed start to the Canada-ROC preliminary-round game on Monday, Feb. 7:
With limited information at the time, our team came to an agreement with ROC to delay the start of todays game. That delay was extended to one hour following the initial 12:10 p.m. start time. It was further agreed upon that, out of an abundance of caution, all players would wear masks for the game.
Prior to the third period, both teams received the necessary negative COVID-19 test results. The teams were given the option to remove their masks for the final period, but Canadas players chose to finish the game with masks on.
Head coach Troy Ryan removed one athlete from the field of play during the pre-game warmup and she did not return. Emily Clark produced an inconclusive test result prior to the game, and with the health and safety of both teams players, coaches and staff as the top priority, she left the arena to isolate and await an additional COVID test.
For more information on Hockey Canada and Canadas Womens Olympic Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or following along through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
– 30 –
For more information, please contact:
Esther Madziya
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada