Photo: Sportsnet
After the Dallas Stars canceled their practice on Friday due to the spread of COVID-19, the NHL announced that six players and two of the team’s staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. The team facility in Frisco, Texas will be closed for the next few days.
The NHL also announced that the Stars’ schedule is being reviewed but the team will not begin before Monday, January 19. That means that the team’s first three games (two at the Florida Panthers and one at the Tampa Bay Lightning) will be postponed. The plan is to reschedule all of the affected Stars’ games, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Rescheduling all of Dallas’ games in the current schedule window would mean 56 games played in 110 days. #condensed
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) January 8, 2021
“The Stars organization has, and will continue to follow, all recommended guidelines aimed at protecting the health and safety of its players, staff and community at large as set by the NHL, local, state and national agencies,” the league said in a statement.
Texas is among the leaders in the United States in COVID-19 cases with over 1.91 million cases, including 54,623 in Collin County and 42,095 in Denton County, where Frisco is between.
The team is only one of a few times to let fans in this season and will allow up to 5,000 to watch games at American Airlines Center. Their first home game is scheduled to take place on January 22 vs. the Predators.
This could be the first time that the NHL will be forced to postpone games this season due to COVID-19.
#NHL announces Dallas Stars had 6 players and 2 staff members test positive for COVID-19. Team facility is closed for a number of days.
Stars’ schedule is being reviewed, but will not begin season before Jan. 19 – meaning first 3 games (at least) have been postponed.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) January 8, 2021
By Harrison Brown
