COVID-19 sports postponement updates: NHL, college games affected

No, this is not March 2020.

The coronavirus pandemic even now poses a threat, and will carry on to do so, but the professional medical field and infectious ailment authorities have uncovered a lot about the virus and its unfold. Equipment these as harmless vaccines and masking selections provide person defense.

That signifies sporting activities leagues will not shut down like they did 20 months in the past. But with every passing working day, it looks yet another activity or league is after once again being influenced by this pandemic, with postponements and infections. For example, 51 NFL players went on the COVID-19 reserve list Monday, like Kansas Town Chiefs star Travis Kelce.

In this article is the latest in COVID-19 news and disruptions in the sports planet:

NFL:Chiefs’ Travis Kelce among the 51 NFL gamers put on COVID-19 listing on Monday

NBA:With more than 90 gamers in COVID protocols, this is what the league ideas to do about it

NHL pausing period two times early

Due to the increasing quantity of constructive COVID-19 instances all through the league, the NHL and NHL Players’ Association agreed to get started their Christmas split early.

The NHL programs to pause its season on Wednesday, two days prior to the originally scheduled holiday break from Dec. 24-26, the league confirmed Monday night time.

Monday night’s game involving the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild was performed as scheduled, but the other four online games on the docket experienced been postponed. Two games stay on Tuesday’s schedule — Washington Capitals at Philadelphia Flyers (7 p.m. ET) and Tampa Bay Lightning at Vegas Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET) — and equally are continue to a go, pending any more positive exams.

There were at first 10 online games slated for Tuesday, but some game titles in between Canadian and American teams were previously postponed for the reason that all cross-border online games had been put on pause.

The NHL and NHLPA agreed to postpone the five online games that had remained on Thursday’s agenda for the duration of consultations Monday evening. Players are established to report again to staff services on Dec. 26 and resume day by day testing. The NHL plan is established to resume on Dec. 27.

Earlier Monday, the Columbus Blue Jackets were shut down since of a growing number of instances, and a pair of Tuesday games — New Jersey Devils at Pittsburgh Penguins and Arizona Coyotes at Seattle Kraken — were also termed off because of COVID troubles on the Devils and Kraken.

NHL:League, players will make determination soon on whether or not to pull out of Olympics

Louisville-Kentucky men’s basketball sport known as off

The Louisville men’s basketball match Wednesday at Kentucky is postponed, and the Cardinals have paused basketball functions because of “multiple optimistic COVID-19 checks in the system,” the school announced Monday.

Louisville is coming off an 82-72 loss at Western Kentucky in which it played with out setting up center Malik Williams, who was absent from the workforce. Although Louisville did not title Williams, a spokesman explained a player was not with the crew because of to COVID-19 protocols.

Opinion:Penny Hardaway’s negligence all-around COVID, his Memphis basketball players threaten season

Women’s hockey: Usa vs. Canada canceled

Usa Hockey declared Monday that an exhibition amongst the U.S. women’s hockey group and Canada has been canceled thanks to “fears all over COVID-19.”

The series, which Canada at the moment leads 4-2, was scheduled to select back again up in Canada immediately after the new 12 months.

Rafael Nadal tests constructive

Rafael Nadal mentioned Monday he examined optimistic for COVID-19 immediately after returning to Spain from an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi previous weekend.

The timing of the good take a look at most likely complicates Nadal’s programs for the Australian Open, which starts on Jan. 17. Nadal, 35, has performed pretty minor aggressive tennis considering that last year’s French Open due to the fact of many accidents and was making an attempt to ramp again up in time for the 1st Grand Slam occasion of the year.

TENNIS:Rafael Nadal exams good for COVID-19, placing Australian Open in question

NBA allows for COVID-19 replacement players

According to many experiences, NBA groups can sign a person substitute player for each and every player that assessments positive for the virus involving now and Jan. 19. Organizations will be demanded to indicator at least a person substitution player in the function of two beneficial gamers.

Lineups across the league have been decimated by roster limitations more than the weekend.

Next a weekend of NBA stars testing positive for the virus, Golden State Warriors guard Andrew Wiggins – who received the COVID-19 vaccine soon after expressing much hesitancy – entered the wellness and security protocols.

NFL teams encounter tall job in that contains virus

As United states of america Now Sports activities columnist Jarrett Bell writes, “the NFL ought to brace for COVID-19 to wreak havoc on playoff ramifications right before, during and throughout the operate to Super Bowl 56 on Feb. 13 in Los Angeles.”