If he wanted to avoid infecting his family, would being in a bubble, and then, when finished the season/ playoffs, self isolating be just as safe as not going in the first place?

Do you have kids and, if you do, were you financially set for the rest of your life at 30? His risk analysis is completely different.
- Only_A_Ladd

Yes and yes. I also understand virology. At the most basic level, you can't transmit a virus to someone if you don't have that virus in your system. You also can't transmit a virus to someone if you had it at one point but it's no longer in your system. His daughter wasn't going to be with him for the playoffs. So how is she at risk? With the amount of testing and monitoring that will be going on, there's almost no chance he's going to return home with the virus and not know about it. If he wanted to be extra safe, he could self isolate for a week or two and get a couple of extra tests after he wins the cup. It's statistically impossible that he would get his daughter sick after all that.

The silly thing about all of this is there would be far more of a stigma if he had just come out and said he was worried about his personal health even though that is a legitimate risk, but hockey players are warriors and aren't allowed to have thoughts like that.

Yes and yes. I also understand virology. At the most basic level, you can't transmit a virus to someone if you don't have that virus in your system. You also can't transmit a virus to someone if you had it at one point but it's no longer in your system. His daughter wasn't going to be with him for the playoffs. So how is she at risk? With the amount of testing and monitoring that will be going on, there's almost no chance he's going to return home with the virus and not know about it. If he wanted to be extra safe, he could self isolate for a week or two and get a couple of extra tests after he wins the cup. It's statistically impossible that he would get his daughter sick after all that.

The silly thing about all of this is there would be far more of a stigma if he had just come out and said he was worried about his personal health even though that is a legitimate risk, but hockey players are warriors and aren't allowed to have thoughts like that.
- Hunkulese

I think it’s something more of a mental thing. While there really isn’t any chance of him infecting his family based on what we know of the return-to-play procedures, it was still a traumatic experience that with all this going around has probably re-struck some of those nerves that are left there from the first go around.

I get putting your family first, but it's a pretty weak excuse. The chance of Harmonic infecting his family is basically zero. Unless they're living completely off the grid and growing their own food, t's just as likely that they'll get sick at home.

I don't know if his family cares at all about money, but his decision is potentially costing them millions. His stock is pretty low right now, and a solid playoffs would bring a lot more suitors.
- Hunkulese

His daughter and wife both have respiratory problems, nice post Faucci

Yes and yes. I also understand virology. At the most basic level, you can't transmit a virus to someone if you don't have that virus in your system. You also can't transmit a virus to someone if you had it at one point but it's no longer in your system. His daughter wasn't going to be with him for the playoffs. So how is she at risk? With the amount of testing and monitoring that will be going on, there's almost no chance he's going to return home with the virus and not know about it. If he wanted to be extra safe, he could self isolate for a week or two and get a couple of extra tests after he wins the cup. It's statistically impossible that he would get his daughter sick after all that.

The silly thing about all of this is there would be far more of a stigma if he had just come out and said he was worried about his personal health even though that is a legitimate risk, but hockey players are warriors and aren't allowed to have thoughts like that.
- Hunkulese

As a doctor, I can tell you this is completely wrong.
You actually don't have to have the virus to transmit it. Although it's small and the CDC has basically said that transmission through surfaces is small, it still exists. So yes, you can transmit it without having it...via object and surfaces, clothes, etc. Plus there's so much we don't know about COVID yet. The reality is that his daughter may be immunocompromised and at higher risk...we don't know what transpired from her previous respiratory viral infection....maybe it was just a severe common cold...but I'm sure if it was serious, and if you had kids, then you would understand.

As for exposure to his family, aren't families also coming? Wasn't that the whole point of selling the mountains because their families would be potentially staying in Banff/Jasper and for players to get to see their loved ones between games as an extension of the bubble? This one isn't really known yet, bunch of logistical details are still being hammered out.

As a doctor, I can tell you this is completely wrong.
You actually don't have to have the virus to transmit it. Although it's small and the CDC has basically said that transmission through surfaces is small, it still exists. So yes, you can transmit it without having it...via object and surfaces, clothes, etc. Plus there's so much we don't know about COVID yet. The reality is that his daughter may be immunocompromised and at higher risk...we don't know what transpired from her previous respiratory viral infection....maybe it was just a severe common cold...but I'm sure if it was serious, and if you had kids, then you would understand.

As for exposure to his family, aren't families also coming? Wasn't that the whole point of selling the mountains because their families would be potentially staying in Banff/Jasper and for players to get to see their loved ones between games as an extension of the bubble? This one isn't really known yet, bunch of logistical details are still being hammered out.
- cpltanto

Also to note...as a father, he said the right thing...family first
Even if he wasn't going to expose them, he is exposing himself. He lost his dad when he was young, why would he risk that for his own kids?
There's been plenty of documented cases of COVID deaths of young healthy people too