The Buffalo Sabres will not be playing their next two scheduled games against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night at KeyBank Center and Thursday night at Nationwide Arena.
The National Hockey League announced Monday the Blue Jackets have shut down their season through the holiday break due to an outbreak of COVID-19. The team announced on Sunday that three of its players - forwards Boone Jenner and Jack Roslovic, as well as defenseman Gabriel Carlsson - were placed in the National Hockey League's COVID-19 Protocols and team practice was canceled.
This is the second time the Sabres have had games postponed due to COVID-19 issues with the opposing team. Wednesday's originally scheduled matchup against the Avalanche at KeyBank Center was postponed this past Friday after Colorado was forced to press pause on their season through the Christmas break.
Related
With all three games this week wiped out due to postponements, the Sabres will next play after the holiday break on Monday, Dec. 27 against the New York Islanders in Buffalo.
The Sabres say more information on ticketing for the postponed games will be passed along to fans as soon as it is available.
In addition to the Blue Jackets shutting down their season through Christmas, the Montreal Canadiens have also pressed pause on their season as a result of positive COVID-19 cases with their roster.
The league now has a total of nine teams that have shut down their seasons through Dec. 26 due to COVID-19 issues, including the Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and now the Blue Jackets and Canadiens.
The league and NHL Players’ Association said Sunday the plan was to avoid a full league shutdown, pausing team activities on a case-by-case basis and postponing all cross-border games through Thursday. The Christmas break begins Friday and runs through Sunday, with games scheduled to resume next Monday.
“We will continue to play the 2021-22 regular season schedule,” the NHL and NHLPA said Sunday in a joint statement. “Although there has been a recent increase in positive COVID test results among players, coaches and hockey staff, there have been a low number of positive cases that have resulted in concerning symptoms or serious illness.”
Roughly 10% of the league’s players are in virus protocol. The spread of delta and omicron variants across North America has made Olympic participation unlikely.
Much about the omicron coronavirus variant remains unknown, including whether it causes more or less severe illness. Scientists say omicron spreads even easier than other coronavirus strains, including delta, and it is expected to become dominant in the U.S. by early next year. Early studies suggest the vaccinated will need a booster shot for the best chance at preventing an omicron infection but even without the extra dose, vaccination still should offer strong protection against severe illness and death.