NHL shuts down Avalanche through holiday break
Dec 17, 2021, 1:27 PM
After several positive cases within the past few days and out of concern for the further spread of COVID-19, the NHL has postponed several upcoming Colorado Avalanche games.
The league announced Friday the Avs, along with the Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers, will be shelved through the holiday break, which is scheduled to end Dec. 26.
“A decision on when each team’s training facilities will re-open will be made by the league and the NHLPA in the coming days. The league is in the process of reviewing and revising all three teams’ regular season schedules,” the NHL said via a press release.
Colorado’s postponed games include Saturday’s tilt at Ball Arena with the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, along with three Eastern Conference road games next week:
» Dec. 20 at Detroit
» Dec. 22 at Buffalo
» Dec. 23 at Boston
Just ahead of puck drop in Nashville on Thursday, the Avs added four players to the NHL’s COVID list — forwards Andre Burakovsky and J.T. Compher, defenseman Cale Makar and goaltender Darcy Kuemper. They join defenseman Devon Toews on the list, which could grow in the coming days.
The NHL said via the release that all three organizations have “followed, and will continue to follow, all recommended guidelines aimed at protecting the health and safety of their Players, staff and community at large as set by the NHL, local, state/provincial and federal agencies.”