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

NEW YORK – 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. The league said successful a merchandise the determination was made, successful part, due to the fact that of the “fluid quality of national question restrictions.”

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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.”

The Winnipeg Jets were the lone Canadian squad playing Sunday -- hosting and beating St. Louis 4-2 -- aft 3 games involving Canadian teams already were postponed.

“I deliberation the large happening is erstwhile you triumph a hockey crippled you privation to play the adjacent day,” Jets interim manager Dave Lowry said. “This volition instrumentality america retired of it for a mates days. But what it volition let america to bash is get backmost and enactment connected immoderate details successful our crippled that we anticipation to proceed to amended on.”

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Jets halfway Mark Scheifele said the squad learned of the postponements moments aft the game.

“You ne'er cognize close now,” helium said. “You could spot it coming benignant of, we weren’t truly sure, truthful evidently we cognize present and waiting to spot what each transpires. We’ll support rolling with the punches.”

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.

Scheifele called the uncertainty “concerning.”

“It’s not successful our hands anymore, you cognize what I mean? You conscionable got to spot successful the program and conscionable support connected doing what you bash ... and anticipation for the best," helium said.

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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.

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