NHL’s Brandon Sutter says long Covid has sidelined him for entire season

NHL veteran Brandon Sutter says he is still suffering from symptoms of long Covid a year after he first contracted the virus and is unsure when he will be able to return to the ice.

Sutter was one of 21 Vancouver Canucks players to catch Covid during an outbreak among the team in March 2021, before a vaccine for the virus was widely available in Canada. He recovered sufficiently to play towards the end of last season but during the summer of 2021 he experienced a raised heart rate and breathing difficulties that felt “like someone was sitting on my chest”.

The 33-year-old’s symptoms were serious enough that he was unable to play when the season started in October but by last month he started to practice again. However, he soon suffered a setback and he has not skated since early April.

Sending our love to Suttsy ♥️ pic.twitter.com/0BxiZS9OYN

“Thought I was getting better after Christmas and started training again, started skating again and was kind of optimistic about returning at some point this season,” he told Sportsnet on Tuesday. “When I started skating more and ramping up my training to the level you’ve got to to be an athlete in this league, I just kind of went backwards a little bit.

“I’m always hopeful to get back as soon as I can and doing all we can to correct it. It’s just been dealing with immune system stuff, which a lot of people who are going through it at home too, have had what they’re calling ‘long Covid’ stuff. It’s not a lot of fun.”

One recent study suggested that long Covid is associated with more than 200 symptoms, from brain fog to heart palpitations, and experts are still struggling to come up with effective treatments. Another study, by the American Medical Association, estimated that up to 30%