The NHL postponed nine games scheduled to take place in Canada in the coming weeks because of pandemic-related restrictions on fan attendance.
The league announced Tuesday that it would move games in five of its seven Canadian cities “for dates later in the season when such restrictions may be eased or lifted.”
With the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, capacity at indoor sporting events is currently limited to either 50 percent or zero in Canada, depending on the province.
The team most affected is the Montreal Canadiens, who were slated to have a homestand with four games between Jan. 4-10. Montreal defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in a shootout on Dec. 16 in front of no fans at the Bell Centre; the team has not played since due to various COVID postponements, but will return to action Tuesday at Tampa Bay.
Montreal’s Jan. 12 game against the Boston Bruins will be played in Boston.
The nine affected games are:
Dec. 31
Pittsburgh Penguins at Ottawa Senators
Winnipeg Jets at Calgary Flames
Jan. 3
Carolina Hurricanes at Toronto Maple Leafs
Jan. 4
Washington Capitals at Montreal Canadiens
Jan. 6
Toronto Maple Leafs at Montreal Canadiens
Jan. 8
Buffalo Sabres at Montreal Canadiens
Seattle Kraken at Winnipeg Jets
Jan. 10
Columbus Blue Jackets at Montreal Canadiens
Minnesota Wild at Winnipeg Jets
The NHL also postponed one additional game, Wednesday’s matchup between the Detroit Red Wings and host New York Islanders, due to both teams’ COVID-19 protocols.
–Field Level Media