In an unexpected turn of events, the NHL is pausing the season for several days starting Wednesday.
The league announced Monday that all teams will have a blanket pause starting Dec. 22 because of COVID.
Players who produce a negative test on Dec. 26 will be allowed to enter the team facilities. Games will resume on December 27.
The @NHL and @NHLPA have agreed to begin the Holiday Break after Tuesday’s games. Practices will resume on Dec. 26 and the League’s regular-season schedule will resume on Dec. 27. https://t.co/0Bmu8dlZ1M pic.twitter.com/JHbxtzMX6D
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 21, 2021
The NHL has been the only major sports league to issue an extended pause due to COVID-19. While other leagues are also dealing with issues, only hockey has stopped playing for an extended time.
Although the pause lasts for only a few days it is an indication that COVID-19 is getting worse.
We’ve seen postponements in every major sports league you can think of and the NHL apparently thinks a blanket pause will give players some extra time to get healthy.
It is also important to note that the NHL’s vaccine rate is almost 100%. However, this has not been enough to stop players from being positive.
Let’s hope that other leagues don’t do the same thing as the NHL. We don’t need games being paused.
