Arizona Coyotes to return for voluntary small-group workouts

The Arizona Coyotes will return to the ice Thursday for voluntary small-group training in the NHL’s Phase 2 of return to play.

The team announced Sunday that players will begin the process on Monday with pre-participation medical evaluations.

All players and staff will be tested for COVID-19 before they’re allowed to participate.

Per the return to play guidelines, the Coyotes players and staff will follow health and safety guidelines set forth by the league and the Centers for Disease Control.

Coaches will not be permitted on the ice for the voluntary training sessions.

Players will train in groups of six and must remain socially distant for both on and off-ice sessions. Players will also have specific arrival and departure times to minimize contact.

For the health and safety of the Coyotes players and staff, the sessions are not open to the public.

The NHL season was paused in March to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Once the NHL season resumes, the Coyotes will be part of a 24-team playoff format that the league announced last month. Arizona will be the 11th seed in the Western Conference and play the sixth-seeded Nashville Predators in a best-of-five series.

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