COVID-19 is still having an impact on the hockey world, even if it is on a smaller scale.
Canadian teams are taking alternative travel routes into the U.S. to avoid testing. As the Oilers and Maple Leafs head south of the border for Games 3 and 4 in their respective first-round NHL playoff series, they are electing to bus across the border instead of fly.
Creative travel for Canadian playoff teams. The Oilers flew to Vancouver last night and will bus into Washington today before flying to LA. By doing this the Oilers avoid mandatory Covid testing for air travel into the US. Driving across the border doesn’t require testing. 1/2
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) May 5, 2022
The Maple Leafs took a bus to Buffalo this morning and will fly to Tampa Bay from there. No word on the Calgary Flames travel plans to Dallas as both clubs prep for game 2. https://t.co/jL0HeyunzB
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) May 5, 2022
Since the United States requires mandatory COVID testing within 24 hours of a flight for anyone who is flying from Canada into the U.S., teams are electing to go across the border by bus and then fly domestically.
This allows teams to avoid testing players and potentially losing anyone for a playoff game. Players would be forced to miss at least one game if they test positive.
Players who are flying from the U.S. into Canada are not required to get a test before crossing the border, as long as they are fully vaccinated. This is why the Lightning, Kings and Stars did not bus across the border when they went into Canada for the beginning of their first-round series against their Canadian opponents.
MORE: Playoff schedule: Bracket, dates, times, TV channels for every series
This different travel plan is not limited to the playoffs, nor to hockey.
According to TSN's Darren Dreger, this approach was used by NHL teams during the regular season.
This isn’t unique to the Stanley Cup playoffs. Teams took a similar approach during the regular season as well. https://t.co/07s6yBkF4q
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) May 5, 2022
In baseball, the Blue Jays have been using this method as well, as they constantly are crossing the border as the lone Canadian team in MLB. They bus from Toronto to Buffalo, N.Y., a little more than 90 minutes away, and then fly out of Buffalo to their destination.
Teams coming back from playing in Toronto use the same travel plan. Coincidentally, this scenario played out recently with the Blue Jays, Yankees and Lightning all at the border at the same time.
Apparently the Buffalo Canada-U.S. border was a busy place in the wee hours of this morning. A bus caravan that included the #Yankees, #Bluejays and #Lightning all crossing into America.
— Rob Longley (@longleysunsport) May 5, 2022
Teams will continue bypassing the testing requirement for flying into the U.S. until all the Canadian teams are eliminated from the playoffs, if they get knocked out. The Canadiens made it all the way to Stanley Cup Final last season. A Canadian team has not won the Cup since Montreal did it in 1993.
