Wilderness Walk: NHL announces health and safety protocols

That’s Wild

• Kirill Kaprizov is already winning over some of his new coaching staff with his attitude off and on the ice. [Hockey Wilderness]
• To wish everyone a Happy Holidays, the Wild got really...creative.

Off the trail...

• On Tuesday, the NHL released the key protocols that every team will follow throughout this season and the playoffs to try and produce as safe an environment as they can. Some notable protocols include:
• The league will announce the names of players who test positive for COVID-19 during the season.
• All coaches must wear face coverings on the bench during games.
• Following a positive test, players must self-isolate based on local health regulations and need to be cleared by a team physician and cardiologist before returning to play.
• Teammates identified as close contacts won’t be required to quarantine as long as they test negative and remain asymptomatic.
• Players will stay alone in hotel rooms on the road and are not allowed to dine at restaurants, go shopping, or use transportation that isn’t provided by the team.
• The New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals were the first two teams to unveil what their respective helmet ads are going to look like.

• The league has also announced a list of key dates for the upcoming season. Everything from the trade deadline to the NHL Draft. [NHL dot com]
• Even if he has not been a Minnesota Wild player for almost two years now, we still hold a special, weird, place in our hearts from Mikael Granlund. After staying on the free agent list for practically the entire off-season, the Finn has returned to the Nashville Predators on a one-year, $3.75-million contract. [On The Forecheck]
• There were some signings yesterday, so bear with me; the Washington Capitals stole a Pittsburgh Penguins legend and signed winger Conor Sheary to a one-year deal. [Japer’s Rink]
• After Kucherov’s injury gave them a little extra cap room, the Tampa Bay Lightning re-signed two RFAs on Tuesday, defensemen Erik Cernak and Jan Rutta. [Raw Charge]
• After 11 seasons, defenseman Deryk Engelland has retired. [Knights on Ice]
• Edmonton Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is set to become a UFA in several months, and even though he is an arguably crucial member of their forward depth, the two parties have put contract talks on the back burner. [Edmonton Journal]