Canadian NHL Games Postponed due to Attendance Restrictions

Returning off a holiday break in the NHL schedule, most fans had hoped to see a return of a semi-regular NHL schedule. Little did we know what was in store. The NHL announced that they would be postponing games that were being held in Canadian markets due to a restriction in attendance capacity. There is now a total of 80 games postponed so far this season.

We all know why these games are being canceled; money, NHL players, and owners do not want to play in empty arenas and continue to bleed money. As Sean Shapiro tweeted earlier today, “For a rough idea, those nine games without fans would likely cost the league and players around $30 million in HRR”. There is no appetite around the league to make these debts worse, especially after the NHL has started to criticize players about backing out on their CBA deal and allowing them to participate in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

NHL schedule-makers are going to have to get creative to finish this season. Some teams like the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders still have over 55 games to play in just over 100 days left in the season. Odds are the NHL will find a way to fill the previous Olympic break with regular-season games to help balance the end-of-season workload.

While we know this is not the end of postponed games, we all hope that the Canadian border will remain open for NHL hockey, and we do not see the all-Canadian division come back mid-season.

Please do check back in with us as we follow this topic. This story will be updated with the freshest information.

Connor Green

Managing Editor | Inside the Rink

One thought on “Canadian NHL Games Postponed due to Attendance Restrictions”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Linus Ullmark #35 in net for the Ottawa Senators

Opinion: Linus Ullmark Needs to be Better for the Ottawa Senators

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark made 29 saves in Tuesday’s 5-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo scored twice in the opening 37 seconds to take control of the game. As a result, Ullmark suffered his third loss in four decisions since he returned from an injury in late October, a stretch in which he […]

Read More

NHL Game Preview: Vegas Golden Knights at Edmonton Oilers with Line Combinations 11/6/2024

Vegas Golden Knights (8-3-1, 17 Pts) at Edmonton Oilers (6-6-1, 13 Pts)Venue: Rogers PlaceDate: Tonight – Wednesday, November 6Time: 8:30 pm EST TV: SCRIPPS-VGK, ESPN+Radio:Vegas – Fox Sports 98.9/1340Edmonton – 630 CHED AM DraftKings Sportsbook Betting Lines:Vegas Golden Knights: +1.5 ML +140Edmonton Oilers: -1.5 ML -166O/U 6.5 Purchase tickets via Ticketmaster Vegas Golden Knights News […]

Read More
NHL Game Preview: Nashville Predators vs. Washington Capitals with Line Combinations 11/6/2024

NHL Game Preview: Nashville Predators vs. Washington Capitals with Line Combinations 11/6/2024

The Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals face off tonight.

Read More