Lightning temporarily close training facilities due to COVID-19

According to TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie, the Tampa Bay Lightning have had to temporarily close its training facilities during Phase 2 because multiple players and some staff have tested positive for COVID-19.

McKenzie believes it's three players and two staff who tested positive and adds that remaining players and staff are being tested. The expectation is the training facility will re-open if there are no more positive tests.

McKenzie also notes that the players are not locked down from the public in any way. The Florida health department reported 3,822 new cases of coronavirus on Friday and 3,207 cases on Thursday.

The inherent exposure of the strictly voluntary Phase Two is that the players aren’t locked down from the public in any way. And with case counts in FLA and ARI skyrocketing of late, it should come as no surprise if NHL players in those hot spots will test positive.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 19, 2020

We don’t yet know the TBD terms/conditions of Phase Three (training camp) and Four (playing games in Hub cities), but they would presumably be much more protective of players/staff. Phase Four will likely be a fully-locked down bubble environment.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 19, 2020

Phase 2 of the return-to-play plan began last week as teams opened their training facilities for small groups of players and staff to conduct on- and off-ice workouts.

Last week, a Boston Bruins player became the 10th NHLer to have a confirmed case of the novel coronavirus.

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced June 4 that one of their players had tested positive. That was the first announced case among NHL players since the Colorado Avalanche said April 7 that a third member of the team had returned a positive test result.

The other five players who tested positive are members of the Ottawa Senators.

NHL training camps are expected to open on July 10 as part of Phase 3.