Leafs’ Holl: U.S. players need ‘concrete plan’ before re-entering Canada

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Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Justin Holl isn't going to return to Canada until the NHL is fully prepared to do so.

"The general consensus amongst American players (on Canadian teams) is that we'll wait until we have a concrete plan before we go back," Holl told reporters, according to The Canadian Press' Joshua Clipperton. "Because you never know if you go back there and then you're sitting around for another month or two.

"Once we have a plan, being in Minnesota, I'll hop in the car that day basically and just drive back and then start that process, and hopefully I'll be good to go."

The NHL season has been on pause since March 12 amid the coronavirus pandemic. Many players left their clubs' cities for their hometowns once the league allowed them to do so while recommending they self-quarantine.

The Canada-U.S. border was closed to non-essential travel for 30 days on March 21. The closure was extended by another month on April 18.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday that NHL players entering Canada would have to follow self-quarantine guidelines "in an extremely strict manner" if the season were to resume, cautioning that such a point in discussions hasn't yet been reached.

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