Why Canada and ROC Olympic women's hockey players wore KN95 face masks during their game

It was a bizarre sight to see, even in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.

An Olympic women’s hockey matchup between Canada and ROC (Russia) was delayed after an hour, and when the puck dropped on the match, both teams played with KN95 masks under their usual facemasks.

What happened here? As USA TODAY Sports’ Chris Bumbaca reported, it’s not completely clear at the moment.

“The basic explanation offered by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) of “health and safety” is obvious, given the global COVID-19 pandemic that is the backdrop of these Games, and that six Russian players tested positive upon arriving in Beijing,” he wrote. “But Canada also experienced its own coronavirus issues Monday.”

Here’s the IIHF’s explanation:

Also from Bumbaca’s report:

Canadian forward Natalie Spooner said the delay was due to COVID-19 test results from the morning not yet being available.

Whether that means it was Russia’s or Canada’s tests – or both – remains uncertain. Neither Spooner nor forward Rebecca Johnston would say.

Here are some photos from the game: