Washington Capitals forward Quintin Laing has been diagnosed with swine flu, becoming the third National Hockey League player to succumb to the virus this week.

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Canadian Laing, who missed Washington's 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, is having treatment while being kept away from his team mates, the Capitals said on Wednesday.

"If you are showing the symptoms and you don't have the seasonal flu, then the presumption is that you have H1N1," Nate Ewell, senior director of media relations, said.

Asked what precautions the Capitals were taking to combat the H1N1 flu pandemic, Ewell replied: "None beyond what we've done all along which is educate the guys as well as we can."

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Ladislav Smid and backup Colorado Avalanche goaltender Peter Budaj were diagnosed with swine flu this week.

Officially, 1,000 US deaths have been attributed to H1N1 since April.