COVID-19 has drastically impacted the 2021-22 NHL season, forcing nearly a third of the league to pause their campaigns while over 60 players remained in protocols as of Saturday. The virus' spread is reportedly creating dissent within the NHL regarding ways to safely finish the season, and it's also slimming the chances of players competing in February's 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
The delicate, multi-faceted situation has put the NHL league office in "triage mode," according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan.
Kaplan said the NHL hopes to "avoid a full-on pause at all costs" but admits the COVID-19 situation is "pretty grim." Some league members, according to Kaplan, want to stop testing altogether while others desire a league-wide pause to the season.
The NHL sided with the second set of players' opinions. On Saturday, the league updated its COVID-19 protocols to include daily testing for players and coaches as well as pre-game testing "on a case-by-case basis" for teams facing outbreaks. Teams are expected to observe the updated protocols through Jan. 7.
Any pause to the NHL season would likely eliminate the possibility of players competing in February's Olympics. The NHL has until Jan. 10 to opt out of the Olympics without any financial penalty, and Kaplan said the league will do so if it feels "like their schedule is materially affected by COVID."
The NHL and commissioner Gary Bettman may have already passed that point. Kaplan said it's "looking very unlikely" players will participate in the Games, and the chances diminish further as more players enter COVID protocols.
This week alone, the NHL postponed four teams' – the Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins and Nashville Predators – games through Dec. 26. The league also postponed all Calgary Flames' games through Dec. 23.
The Carolina Hurricanes, New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota Wild and Montreal Canadiens have all faced game postponements as well over this chaotic NHL season.
