The NHL needs to take a break
This last week has been a tumultuous one with players testing positive for COVID-19 in all North American sports and the NHL needs to get ahead of this and pause the season.
I know this isn't anything a hockey fan wants to hear right now but the NHL is entering a dangerous and unfair situation where some teams are playing games without a full bench in a professional sports league. The Calgary Flames currently have 18 players and 12 staff in COVID-19 Protocol, and their games have been suspended at least until next week. The teams Calgary played recently, Carolina and Boston are now having their own issues. The Boston Bruins have 6 players in the protocol, including their entire top line, but none of their games have been cancelled yet. The Carolina Hurricanes had their last game postponed as they had 6 players and one trainer test positive for COVID-19, while 2 players and a trainer are still isolating back in Vancouver where they tested positive. It's only a matter of time before the shoe drops on the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers who also player Carolina and Boston during their west coast swing. Florida will be playing their game Thursday night short handed as they have now had multiple players test positive. We've also seen what's happened earlier this season with the New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers and it's only going to get worse.
The best option for the NHL right now is to put at least a one week pause on all league play, practices and meetings, and reschedule the games missed for a future date. The dates that make the most sense for make-up games is between February 4th and 20th, during the originally scheduled Olympic break. At this point the NHL cannot afford to go to the Olympics and with some players already being on the fence or stating that they won't be going at all, it no longer makes sense.
We would've all loved to see the best players from each nation represent their country at the Olympics but pausing the NHL in a regular year causes logistical headaches, especially when the Olympics are being held halfway across the world. The NHL already has close to 20 games to make up in the schedule somewhere and with an already condensed schedule it just doesn't make sense.
The NHL and NHLPA must make the tough decision to collectively say that they would have loved to go but it no longer makes sense, logistically, financially and health wise.
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