ON ICE

NHL Shuts Down on COVID Surge, Beijing Olympics Decision for Players Is Imminent

The league will reportedly announce if players will be going to Beijing later this week.

The National Hockey League has halted its season as its rosters became ravaged by COVID outbreaks—and executives are reportedly on the verge of telling players they can’t travel to Beijing for the Winter Olympic Games in February. In an announcement late Monday, the NHL confirmed a shutdown after suspected Omicron cases ripped through 12 team camps and left more than 119 players in the league’s COVID containment protocols. The games still on the schedule for Tuesday will be played, but then the league will be put on pause until fixtures resume Monday. According to The Wall Street Journal, the sudden worsening of the pandemic is causing NHL executives concern about whether to allow players to take a break in February to go to Beijing. According to the Journal, the NHL can stop players from traveling if conditions are deemed to be “impractical or unsafe.” The league will reportedly announce its decision on Beijing later this week.