NHL and NHLPA agree to start holiday break early due to COVID-19 concerns

Toronto Maple Leafs place four more players and two more staff in Covid-19 Protocol

Today, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that forward David Kämpf, forward Ilya Mikheyev, goaltender Petr Mrázek, defenceman Rasmus Sandin, goaltending coach Steve Briere and an additional member of the team’s medical staff have been placed into the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. The Maple Leafs alreadt had 6 players plus two coaches on the protocol list.

For precautionary reasons, today’s practice in Vancouver has been cancelled. Maple Leafs players and travelling staff were tested yesterday in Vancouver and the club was informed of the testing results early Friday morning. All players and travelling staff will undergo additional testing today.

This news comes as the NHL announced today the postponement or suspension of the season starting tomorrow, with no games being played until December 27. In addition, tonight’s game between the Washington Capitals at Philadelphia Flyers also has been postponed by the NHL because of COVID-19 concerns.

This brings the total of games postponed this season to 50, including 32 this week. The NHL and NHL Players’ Association agreed Monday to postpone five games Thursday, the day before the holiday break was scheduled to begin.

There is one remaining game on the schedule for Tuesday before the break: the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Vegas Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET; SN360, SN-joined in progress, TVAS, ATTSN-RM, BSSUN, ESPN+, NHL LIVE).

With the four games scheduled Wednesday already postponed because of COVID-19 concerns, the holiday break will take effect after the Lightning-Golden Knights game. Under the revised schedule, the NHL says all teams will be off from Wednesday to Saturday, including travel.

Though the Pittsburgh Penguins were not shut down, their game against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday and the Flyers on Thursday were postponed. Captain Sidney Crosby said he understood the situation, but wanted to play. 

“I just think there’s a lot of teams that are in a position or have to shut down. I would’ve preferred to keep playing,” Crosby said Tuesday. “You look at our two games and the teams’ situations, possibly could have kept playing. But it’s not up to us. So try to make the most of the break here and get ready.”

On Monday, the NHL also announced the Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens would be shut down through the holiday break. They were the eighth and ninth teams to be shut down through the holiday break, joining the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Nashville Predators, Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers.

Meanwhile, last Sunday, the NHL announced that cross-border games will be postponed through the holiday break, a decision made due to the concern about cross-border travel and “the fluid nature of federal travel restrictions.”

Players will report back to their teams this Sunday, December 26 which shall be used for testing, practice and/or travel only. Upon return from the holiday break to team facilities, no individual in the team’s travelling party shall enter the facility (other than for testing purposes) until they have a negative test result. Any practice scheduled for Sunday must begin after 2 p.m. local time.

There are 14 games on the NHL schedule for Monday, December 27. 

The NHL announced new protocols for teams and players Saturday and is in the process of reviewing and revising the regular-season schedule.

“There’s nothing we can do about it,” Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn said after their 7-4 win against the Minnesota Wild on Monday. “I think the most important thing is the health and safety of the players and coaches and everyone involved with the organizations.

“Just taking it day by day. Hopefully the numbers go down and we can get back to hockey after Christmas.”

Because of the amount of games that have been postponed this season and the continuing uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, the NHL and NHLPA are actively discussing whether players should participate in the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

An announcement is expected in the coming days.

The NHL had 55 games postponed last season; all were made up as part of a 56-game schedule.

NHL.com independent correspondents Jessi Pierce and Wes Crosby contributed to this report 

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