The NHL announced Sunday it has suspended games involving cross-border travel until after the Christmas break due to an increased outbreak of COVID-19.
The suspension will go into effect on Monday and will last through Thursday, the league said in a news release. That will cover 12 games involving U.S. teams playing Canadian-based teams, ESPN reported.
The NHL has already postponed 27 games due to COVID-19 outbreaks, the sports network reported.
“Due to the concern about cross-border travel and, given the fluid nature of federal travel restrictions, effective on Monday, all games involving a Canadian-based team playing a U.S.-based team ... will be postponed and rescheduled,” the NHL said in a statement.
The @NHLPA and @NHL have agreed to continue the 2021-22 regular-season schedule, with details of that agreement outlined at the link below and in this thread.
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 19, 2021
Details: https://t.co/lEKv4lZovh pic.twitter.com/Qxf8XBE7ni
The @NHL / @NHLPA discussion on Olympic participation is ongoing, with a final determination expected in the coming days.
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 19, 2021
Details: https://t.co/lEKv4lZovh pic.twitter.com/DAtgXkHoNu
The NHL and the players’ union have been speaking over the past few days and are determined not to implement a full-schedule pause, ESPN reported.
However, the latest uptick in COVID-19 cases has put Olympic participation for NHL players in jeopardy, according to the sports network. The NHL is scheduled to take a three-week break to allow players to travel to Beijing for the Winter Games in February.
>> Coronavirus: NBA postpones 5 games over next 3 days
The NHL has a Jan. 10 deadline to opt out of the Olympics without a financial penalty, ESPN reported.
“The NHL and NHLPA are actively discussing the matter of NHL Player participation in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, and expect to be in a position to announce a final determination in the coming days,” the NHL said in its news release.
More coronavirus pandemic coverage:
>> Coronavirus: How long between exposure to the virus and the start of symptoms?
>> How to not let coronavirus pandemic fatigue set in, battle back if it does
©2021 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/TCWMY7FAZQUIGSLH4HUEFC33CU.jpg)
:quality(70)/d1hfln2sfez66z.cloudfront.net/11-05-2024/t_8a23645bd7af4d17a373d2859c8a92f2_name_coldpolitsignvandals11pv110424_frame_147.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/DNH2VBF64VDD5CQMLRTTJNZIT4.png)
:quality(70)/d1hfln2sfez66z.cloudfront.net/11-04-2024/t_8d252612df0c4ea19827cafb93bd10d5_name_bp3maxedoutcred4pv110424.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/BGQFTM2RRBEGNBQ5CZP3Y3QVTE.jpeg)