Jets' Bitetto, Canadiens' Ouellet confirm they tested positive for coronavirus

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Xavier Ouellet and Winnipeg Jets blue-liner Anthony Bitetto each confirmed Thursday they tested positive for the coronavirus.

Ouellet says he initially tested negative upon arriving to training camp, but subsequently had a positive result despite not feeling any symptoms.

"I had zero symptoms, there was not one point where I felt sick or anything," Ouellet said, according to Sportsnet.

"I don’t really know if I actually had it or not. But the protocols with the league and the governments are pretty strict and they’re there to keep it safe for everyone. So I had to isolate myself and wait a little bit before I could come back which is what I did. But since that positive test I’ve tested negative every day and felt healthy, zero symptoms."

The 26-year-old joined the Canadiens at training camp for the first time Wednesday.

Bitetto tested positive positive for the virus June 24 and recently completed a 29-day quarantine, according to Sportsnet's Ken Wiebe. The 30-year-old says he feels fortunate that his case wasn't too serious.

"I feel very lucky to have had minor symptoms," Bitetto said, per Wiebe. "I didn't have it bad by any means. There were days I woke up and I was completely fine and I'm like 'I have this virus? How?' It didn't make any sense. It was nothing like I've ever had."

Ouellet and Bitetto join Edmonton Oilers defenseman Caleb Jones and Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews as the only four players to make their positive tests public.

The NHL has seen a decline in COVID-19 cases since Phase 3 began July 13. Two out of 2,618 tests administered to more than 800 NHL players over the first five days of training camp returned positive.