NHL stops cross-border games, shuts down 6th team

NEW YORK (AP) — The NHL and its players relation temporarily clamped down connected teams crossing the Canadian borderline and unopen down operations of a sixth squad connected Sunday successful hopes of salvaging the play arsenic COVID-19 outbreaks dispersed crossed the league.

The Detroit Red Wings were added to the database of teams told to shut down operations, joining the Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators and Boston Bruins. Detroit’s location crippled against Colorado connected Monday antecedently had been postponed and volition not instrumentality spot arsenic scheduled, and the Red Wings’ travel to Minnesota for Thursday’s crippled was called off.

Canadian-based teams volition not play U.S.-based teams from Monday done Thursday, with those postponed games expected beryllium rescheduled.

All told, 27 games person been postponed done Saturday and 12 much done Thursday volition beryllium pushed to different date. Roughly 10% of the 700-plus players were successful the league’s microorganism protocol arsenic of Saturday.

“We volition proceed to play the 2021-22 regular play schedule,” the NHL and NHLPA said Sunday successful a associated statement. “Although determination has been a caller summation successful affirmative COVID trial results among players, coaches and hockey staff, determination person been a debased fig of affirmative cases that person resulted successful concerning symptoms oregon superior illness.”

All of the COVID-19 disruptions whitethorn pb to NHL players staying location alternatively of participating successful the Winter Olympics successful little than 2 months. The NHL has said players tin vie successful Beijing unless the coronavirus becomes a problem.

The league has until Jan. 10 to opt retired of the Winter Games without fiscal penalty, but it retains the close to cancel its plans up until players are scheduled to question to Beijing. The NHL and NHLPA said it volition denote a last determination successful the coming days.

To dilatory the dispersed of the coronavirus, the NHL and the NHLPA agreed to regular investigating and different enhanced protocols done Jan. 1, with an valuation nary aboriginal than Jan. 7.