NHL postpones cross-border games until after Christmas
The National Hockey League has postponed 12 games that involved teams that would need to cross the border until after Christmas.
The league announced the moves Sunday morning, saying “due to the concern about cross-border travel, and given the fluid nature of federal travel restrictions, effective on Monday, all games involving a Canadian-based team playing a U.S.-based team from Monday, Dec. 20, through the start of the holiday break on Dec. 23, will be postponed and rescheduled.”
The following games are affected:
Monday, Dec. 20
- – Montreal Canadiens at New York Islanders
- – Anaheim Ducks at Edmonton Oilers
- Tuesday, Dec. 21
- – St. Louis Blues at Ottawa Senators
- – Vancouver Canucks at San Jose Sharks
- Wednesday, Dec. 22
- – Montreal Canadiens at New York Rangers
- – Winnipeg Jets at Dallas Stars
- – Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings
- Thursday, Dec. 23
- – St. Louis Blues at Toronto Maple Leafs
- – Carolina Hurricanes at Ottawa Senators
- – Montreal Canadiens at New Jersey Devils
- – Anaheim Ducks at Vancouver Canucks
- – Edmonton Oilers at San Jose Sharks
The league said it is expecting the regular season to otherwise resume as normal.
UPDATE 11:00 a.m. est — It appears another game is off the schedule for tonight. The Columbus Blue Jackets were set to play the Sabres in Buffalo but it appears that game has been postponed. If that’s the case, there will only be one game in the NHL on Monday night, the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars.
Alex Tuch's Sabres debut will have to wait. Buffalo's game against Columbus has been postponed, per sources. Expecting official announcement shortly.
— Lance Lysowski (@LLysowski) December 20, 2021Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.