Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs has confirmed that last month he tested positive for coronavirus, reports CBC News.
Matthews shared the news on Monday when the Maple Leafs training camp opened, noting that he was asymptomatic for the most part.
The news was first reported by the Toronto Sun on June 19 but the Maple Leafs would not confirm it at the time for privacy reasons.
"I mean, obviously didn't really enter my training. I was able to do stuff at home, obviously wasn't able to leave or skate or anything," Matthews said.
"That's really the only thing that took a hit for me. I was skating beforehand, and having to take 2 1/2, three weeks off the ice catches up to you, but pretty much asymptomatic, felt for the most part pretty normal for the two weeks. I did my quarantine and I'm feeling healthy now, so it's all good."
Matthews was in Arizona at the time, which is a state that has recently seen an increase in coronavirus cases.
"It was not a hotspot for like two months," Matthews said. "It was like the safest place to be and then obviously things flipped pretty quickly there. I don't really find it too different than it is here. Lots of stuff, for the most part, closed other than outside seating and essential services and stuff like that."
Matthews was present at the Leafs’ practice on Monday.
According to the NHL, 30 players have tested positive for coronavirus during Phase 2 of its return-to-play plan. Thirteen others have tested positive outside of the NHL’s protocol.
For Phase 2, more than 600 players have reported to training facilities. On Monday, Phase 3 began—allowing training camps to open.
Players who tested positive for the virus are now self-isolating and following protocols from Health Canada and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Maple Leafs will be going head to head with Columbus in a best-of-five series beginning Aug. 2.
The season was suspended on March 12 and is now scheduled to resume on August 1 with game-play in Toronto and Edmonton.
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