The NHL had a difficult Wednesday, with 40 players landing on the list of absences caused by COVID-19. On Thursday, the league announced a series of additional coronavirus protocols.

The league statement includes comments from commissioner Gary Bettman, who said, of the 100 players on the COVID list since the season began Jan. 13, "fewer than half have done so because of confirmed positive tests -- and, among that group, many have not been symptomatic."

The four tenets of the new guidelines: