NHL shuts down Wednesday through Saturday; 5 games postponed

The NHL is starting a leaguewide lockdown on Wednesday, citing an increase in positive COVID-19 test results among players, and 10 of the league’s 32 teams have already suspended their schedules and closed their facilities.

The league said Monday night that its annual holiday vacation will begin two days earlier than planned and will go until Saturday. Five more games scheduled for Thursday will be postponed as a result of the decision, which was decided in collaboration with the NHL Players’ Association. This brings the total number of games postponed this season to 49.

Two games scheduled for Tuesday will still take place as planned. Teams will return on Sunday for COVID-19 testing and practice, one day before the games begin. Before being allowed back into their separate facilities, players and members of each team’s traveling party will be needed to test negative.

The decision to start the vacation early comes a day after the NHL and NHLPA released a joint statement stating that they were aiming to prevent a leaguewide shutdown by making team-by-team decisions. Previously, the holiday break was scheduled to go from Friday to Sunday.

The delta and omicron varieties have spread across North America, causing 44 of the 49 games to be postponed in the last two weeks.

More than a quarter of the league’s 700-plus players are in viral protocol, and the consequent scheduling disruption has all but eliminated the league’s chances of competing in the Olympics. The final decision on the Beijing Olympics is due this week, and NHL players’ chances of returning to the Olympics for the first time since 2014 have sunk.

On Monday, the Columbus Blue Jackets, Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, and Ottawa Senators joined the list of teams that have suspended all activities due to positive COVID-19 testing. The Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, and Toronto Maple Leafs have all closed their facilities, with the Calgary Flames reopening theirs to non-protocol players, coaches, and staff.

A pre-Olympic game between the US and Canadian women’s hockey teams was scheduled for Monday night in St. Paul, Minnesota, but it was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns.

Much remains unknown about the omicron coronavirus variety, such as whether it causes more or less severe sickness. According to scientists, omicron spreads faster than other coronavirus strains, including delta, and is anticipated to take over in the United States by early next year. Early research suggests that those who have been vaccinated will need a booster shot to have the highest chance of preventing an omicron infection, although immunization should still provide good protection against severe disease and death even without the extra dosage.