Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Thursday the NHL expects 98% of players to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the start of the season.

The league projects that only between 10 to 15 of roughly 700 players will not be vaccinated by the time the season begins Oct. 12. The league and NHL Players' Association did not impose a vaccine mandate on players, but restrictions -- including the potential of not being able to cross the border from the U.S. into Canada without a lengthy quarantine -- contributed to the number.