Based on recent history with Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and the National Basketball Association, it could come as no surprise whatsoever that the National Hockey League is dealing with coronavirus outbreaks among their teams in the United States. The team that has been hit the hardest recently has been the New Jersey Devils, which have 17 cases according to ESPN.
Even though the Devils were not supposed to be a contender this season, the fact that they are forced to postpone three games this week is significant. The Devils were to play the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday and Thursday, as well as the New York Rangers on Saturday. Their next scheduled game is now on February 9 against the Penguins. So far this season, the Devils are in the thick of things in the East Division. They have a record of four wins, three regulation losses, and two losses in extra time for 10 points overall. They are also one point back of the Penguins for a playoff spot.
New Jersey has been one of the hardest-hit states by coronavirus, especially in the early stages of the pandemic. There have been 705, 807 total cases of coronavirus, and 21,693 deaths. There are still 274,380 active cases of coronavirus in the Garden State with 409, 734 people who have recovered.
The Devils are not the only team dealing with coronavirus issues. The Minnesota Wild have decided to postpone their next four games, as five of their players went into coronavirus protocol. One Wild player who tested positive in November was prospect Marco Rossi, who has since returned to his native Austria, according to nhl.com.
Meanwhile, the Vegas Golden Knights have had to postpone two games. Among the Golden Knights who went into coronavirus protocol were the coaching staff and Alex Pietrangelo. The Colorado Avalanche and Buffalo Sabres have also reported issues.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
