KEY POINTS

  • The NHL places games on hold until Christmas Day with COVID-19 cases continuing to rise
  • Some NHL teams are not aligned with the planned league shutdown
  • Cross-border travel has also been suspended for Canada-based NHL teams

The National Hockey League (NHL) has opted to suspend all games starting Wednesday, Dec. 22 until Christmas Day.

The decision comes not long after coronavirus-related shutdowns led to the closure of facilities for 10 teams.

Of the 49 postponements, 44 have come over the past two weeks with the delta and omicron variants spreading across North America, the Associated Press reported.

More than 15% of the league’s 700-plus players are in virus protocol

According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, a potential league-wide shutdown was being considered as early as Tuesday, December 21.

Players will only return to team facilities on Sunday, December 26 where COVID-19 testing will resume.

However, the decision drew objections from some teams who preferred to grind it out since there is no assurance that things can get better after a pause in league action.

Previously, there were several efforts by the NHL to address the rising COVID-19 situation.

Among the things that the NHL has been doing include expanding testing protocols and barring fans from watching games live once more.

Cross-border travel has also been suspended for Canada-based NHL teams scheduled to face teams headquartered in the United States. The said games will be rescheduled on a later date.

The development also comes not long after the NBA agreed to allow teams to hire replacement players.

Some games have been forcefully canceled as a result of some teams not having ample players ready to play in scheduled games.

Under the agreement, an NBA team can sign a replacement player for every rostered player who tests positive for COVID-19.

Additionally, teams will be required to sign a replacement player if they post two positive tests.

Aside from these, players under a two-way contract will no longer have a cap on the games they can make during the season.

Teams that can field in 13 players or have fewer than four players sidelined will not be allowed to add replacement players, ESPN reported.

The seats of the arena are adorned with t-shirts delineating where fans will be seated for the game between the New York Islanders and the Pittsburgh Penguins
The seats of the arena are adorned with t-shirts delineating where fans will be seated for the game between the New York Islanders and the Pittsburgh Penguins Getty Images | Bruce Bennett
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