The COVID-19 epidemic has caused minor havoc with the NHL schedule, primarily for teams based in Canada, but also for U.S.-based teams like the Washington Capitals. With the NHL now pulling out of the 2022 Olympic Games in China, the time period from February 3 through February 22 will now be used for making up the games.
Saturday, February 5, is already ruled out as a potential makeup date due to the NHL All Star Game. Presuming that no games will take place on the two days after the All Star game, the rescheduled games will have to take place between February 8 through 22, which is exactly 15 days.
Assuming there are no additional postponements due to COVID-19, some teams will have a very light schedule of games to make up, while other teams will have a very heavy schedule.
On the average, teams have had 4-5 games postponed, with two thirds of the teams having between 3-5 postponements. Five teams have had six or more games postponed, with three of them having seven or more games postponed.
In the case of the Washington Capitals, they have had four games postponed, a home game against the Ottawa Senators on December 27 and three away games – against the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders on December 21 and 23, respectively, and the Montreal Canadiens on January 4.
Here is the latest list of postponed games:
| Teams | Postponed | Home | Road |
| Anaheim Ducks | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Arizona Coyotes | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Boston Bruins | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Calgary Flames | 9 | 7 | 2 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Colorado Avalanche | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| Dallas Stars | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| Florida Panthers | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Las Vegas Knights | 2 | 2 | |
| Los Angeles Kings | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Minnesota Wild | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| Nashville Predators | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| New Jersey Devils | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| New York Islanders | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| New York Rangers | 2 | 2 | |
| Ottawa Senators | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| San Jose Sharks | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| St Louis Blues | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Seattle Kraken | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 2 | 2 | |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Washington Capitals | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 8 | 5 | 3 |
Recent Update: Ottawa Senators at Seattle Kraken game of January 6 postponed.
Rescheduling is further complicated by the fact that most of the NHL arenas assumed the NHL would not be in session during the Olympics time frame and scheduled concerts and other sporting events to fill the otherwise vacant schedule. The teams that share an arena with an NBA team generally have less dates available.
Rescheduling The Capitals
As previously noted, the Capitals have one home game and three away games to make up. Based on the current schedule for Capital One Arena, possible dates to reschedule their game against the Senators could be either February 8, February 13, February 15, or February 16. The remaining dates have events scheduled, either a Washington Wizards basketball game, a concert, or Disney on Ice.
For rescheduling away games, potential free dates at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia are: February 9, February 16, February 17, and February 21.
Potential free dates at UBS Arena, the New York Islanders’ home arena are: February 6-13, February 15-18, and February 20-21. They may have more free dates as no NBA team shares an arena with them and, as a newer arena, have not been included in concert tours.
Potential free dates at Bell Center in Montreal are February 8-14, February 17, and February 20-21. The Canadiens are their primary tenant although they have scheduled some concerts during the originally scheduled Olympic break.
Postponed Games
Below is a list of the postponed games for each team.
Anaheim Ducks – 4 games
December 20 – Edmonton — On Road
December 21 – Calgary — On Road
December 23 – Vancouver — On Road
December 27 — San Jose — Home
Arizona Coyotes – 4 games
December 21 – Seattle — On Road
December 23 – Tampa Bay – Home
December 27 – Los Angeles — Home
January 2 — Dallas — Home
Boston Bruins – 5 games
December 18 — Montreal — On Road;
December 21 – Carolina – Home
December 23 – Colorado – Home
December 27 – Pittsburgh — Home
December 29 – Ottawa — On Road
Note: Their game of January 12 against Montreal is being played at home instead of on the road
Buffalo Sabres – 4 games
December 20 – Columbus — Home
December 22 – Colorado – Home
December 23 – Columbus — On Road
December 27 – New York Islanders – Home
January 8 – Montreal — On Road
Calgary Flames – 9 games
December 13 – Chicago — On Road
December 14 – Nashville — On Road
December 18 — Columbus – Home
December 21 – Anaheim – Home
December 23 – Seattle – Home
December 27 – Edmonton – Home
December 31 – Winnipeg – Home
January 11 — New York Islanders — Home
January 15 — Las Vegas — Home
Carolina Hurricanes – 5 games
December 14 – Minnesota — On Road
December 21 – Boston — On Road
December 23 – Ottawa — On Road
December 27 – Florida – Home
January 3 – Toronto — On Road
Chicago Blackhawks — 5 games
December 13 – Calgary Flames – Home
December 21 – Florida Panthers—Home
December 23 – Dallas Stars – Home
December 28 – Columbus Blue Jackets – Home
December 29 – Winnipeg Jets — On Road
Colorado Avalanche — 6 games
December 18 – Tampa Bay – Home
December 20 – Detroit — On Road
December 22 – Buffalo — On Road
December 23 – Boston — On Road
December 27 – Las Vegas — On Road
December 29 – Dallas — Home
Columbus Blue Jackets – 6 games
December 18 – Calgary — On Road
December 20 — Buffalo – On Road
December 23 – Buffalo – Home
December 27 – Toronto – Home
December 28 – Chicago — On Road
January 10 – Montreal — On Road
Dallas Stars – 6 games
December 22 – Winnipeg – Home
December 23 – Chicago — On Road
December 27 – Nashville – Home
December 29 – Colorado — On Road
December 31 – Colorado — Home
January 2 — Arizona — On Road
Detroit Red Wings – 4 games
December 20 – Colorado — Home
December 23 – Minnesota — On Road
December 27 – New York Rangers — On Road
December 29 – New York Islanders — On Road
Edmonton Oilers – 7 games
December 20 – Anaheim – Home
December 22 – Los Angeles — On Road
December 23 — San Jose — On Road
December 27 — Calgary — On Road
January 8 — New York Islanders — Home
January 12 — Minnesota — Home
January 14 — Las Vegas — Home
Florida Panthers – 4 games
December 18 – Minnesota — On Road
December 21 — Chicago — On Road
December 23 – Nashville – home
December 27 – Carolina — On Road
Las Vegas Knights – 2 games
December 23 – Los Angeles – Home
December 27 – Colorado — Home
January 14 — Edmonton — On Road
January 15 — Calgary — On Road
Los Angeles Kings – 3 games
December 22 – Edmonton – Home
December 23 – Las Vegas — On Road
December 27 – Arizona — On Road
Minnesota Wild – 5 games
December 14 – Carolina – Home
December 18 – Florida – Home
December 23 – Detroit – Home
December 27 – Winnipeg — On Road
January 3 — Ottawa — On Road
January 10 – Winnipeg — On Road
Montreal Canadiens – 8 games
December 18 – Boston – Home
December 20 – New York Islanders — Road
December 22 – New York Rangers — Road
December 23 – New Jersey – Road
December 30 – Carolina — Road
January 4 – Washington – Home
January 6 – Toronto
January 8 – Buffalo – Home
Note: Their game of January 12 against Boston is being played on the road instead of at home
Nashville Predators – 3 games
December 21 — Winnipeg – Home
December 23 – Florida – Home
December 27 – Dallas — On Road
New Jersey Devils – 3 games
December 21 – Pittsburgh — On Road
December 23 – Montreal – Home
December 27 – St Louis — On Road
New York Islanders – 8 games
December 20 – Montreal – Home
December 23 – Washington – Home
December 27 — Buffalo — On Road
December 29 – Detroit – Home
January 4 — Seattle — On Road
January 5 — Vancouver — On Road
January 8 — Edmonton — On Road
January 11 — Calgary — On Road
New York Rangers – 2 games
December 22 – Montreal – Home
December 27 – Detroit — Home
Ottawa Senators – 7 games
December 21 – St Louis – Home
December 23 – Carolina – Home
December 27 – Washington — On Road
December 29 – Boston – Home
December 31 – Pittsburgh – Home
January 3 — Minnesota — Home
January 6 — Seattle — On Road
Philadelphia Flyers – 2 games
December 21 – Washington – Home
December 23 – Pittsburgh — On Road
Pittsburgh Penguins – 5 games
December 21 – New Jersey – Home
December 23 – Philadelphia – Home
December 27 – Boston — On Road
December 29 – Toronto — On Road
December 31 – Ottawa — On Road
San Jose Sharks – 3 games
December 21 – Vancouver – Home
December 23 – Edmonton – Home
December 27 – Anaheim — On Road
St. Louis Blues – 3 games
December 21 – Ottawa — On Road
December 23 – Toronto — On Road
December 27 – New Jersey — Home
Seattle Kraken – 6 games
December 21 – Arizona – Home
December 23 – Calgary — On Road
December 27 – Vancouver — On Road
January 4 – New York Islanders — Home
January 6 – Ottawa — Home
January 8 – Winnipeg — On Road
Tampa Bay Lightning – 2 games
December 18 – Colorado — On Road
December 23 – Arizona — On Road
Toronto Maple Leafs — 6 games
December 18 — Vancouver — On Road
December 23 – St. Louis – Home
December 27 – Columbus — On Road
December 29 – Pittsburgh – Home
January 3 – Carolina – Home
January 6 – Montreal — On Road
Vancouver Canucks – 4 games
December 18 – Toronto – Home
December 21 – San Jose — On Road
December 23 – Anaheim – Home
December 27 – Seattle — Home
January 5 — New York Islanders — Home
Washington Capitals – 4 games
December 21 – Philadelphia — On Road
December 23 – New York Islanders — On Road
December 27 – Ottawa – Home
January 4 – Montreal — On Road
Winnipeg Jets – 8 games
December 21 – Nashville — On Road
December 22 – Dallas — On Road
December 27 – Minnesota — Home
December 29 – Chicago – Home
December 31 – Calgary — On Road
January 8 – Seattle — Home
January 10 – Minnesota — Home
January 16 — Edmonton — Home
Further Reading
NHL Postpones 10 Games Due To COVID-19, Canadian Attendance Restrictions, Including Capitals-Canadiens On Tuesday
NHL Delays Resumption Of 2021-22 Regular-Season By At Least One Day; Capitals-Senators Game On Monday Postponed
NHL Postpones Capitals-Flyers Game On Tuesday With Sprong, Schultz Awaiting COVID-19 Test Results
Report: NHL To Pause Play After Tuesday Night But Reopen Facilities Sunday; Capitals-Islanders Game On Thursday To Be Postponed
NHL Postpones 3 More Games — Total Up to 70
NHL Postpones Stars-Coyotes
NHL Postpones Nine More Games — Total Up to 90
By Diane Doyle
Number of days postponed in kids school: 0. Number of days postponed at church: 0. Number of days postponed at work: 0. Number of days postponed at grocery store: 0. Hmmm! Something just doesn’t add up!
Covid really affects the healthiest. The healthier you are, such as an NHL athlete, the higher chance of you getting Covid. Hoax Agenda continues. Don’t be fooled. Turn off your tv and save your cable bill money. All propaganda to the Medical/Pharmecutical Agenda. If you do your research, you will find the Agenda is much wise than just a financial one. The same people who run the Medical industry, also run politics. Also run the media. Newsflash, also run the Sports world.
Additional game announced today.
Post has been updated with that news.