The NHL Washington Capitals forward, Quintin Laing, has been earlier diagnosed with swine flu virus that has already caused the death of 1000 individuals in USA alone. Based on NHL statistics regarding the Swine Flu, Laing becomes the 3^rd NHL hockey player to yield that virus in the NHL (National Hockey League) during 1 week.

The NHL Canadian player of the Washington jerseys had to miss the hockey ice game of Washington Capitals V Flyers on Tuesday night; the absence of Laing has definitely affected the game of NHL hockey score that ended in favor of the Capitals by 4-2. By thrashing the hockey NHL goals into the net of the Flyers shirts, the Capitals Coach is definitely relieved to know that his team is still capable of winning an ice hockey game despite losing players. An official spokesman of the Washington Capitals has stated, after the NHL game, that Laing is being medically treated away from the remaining NHL players of the Capitals.

Nate Ewel, senior director of media relations, declared to NHL live TV and to other sports news media that "If you are showing the symptoms and you don't have the seasonal flu, then the presumption is that you have H1N1".

When asked about the taken precautions to prevent further infections for the Capitals players, Ewell clarified about the H1N1 that "None beyond what we've done all along which is educating the guys as well as we can."

Note that aside of the Washington Capitals infected player, the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche NHL hockey teams are also suffering from suspended players with respectively the defenseman Ladislav Smid and the backup goaltender Peter Budaj. With a total of 3 NHL players infected with swine Flu (H1N1), infection number of hockey players and goalies is expected to rise, especially due to the large expansion of that virus that seems unstoppable, at least for now. Moreover, several NHL magazines and hockey ice center experts had previously mentioned the postponing of the NHL 2010 or the pending of the season in case the infections increase in numbers. NHL news is all over the swine flu that is ranking on top of the sports headlines instead of NHL rankings, NHL standings and NHL results.