NHL to once again send players back to Olympics in 2026, but will arena be ready?
Italian officials want to hold the hockey games at brand new 16,000-seat arena in Milan (which is co-hosting along with Cortina dโAmpezzo), but in whatโs become a theme of other construction efforts for the 2026 Games, the Italians are doing things at the last minute and better hope no delays occur.
Omicron casts a new shadow over economyโs pandemic recovery
Just as Americans and Europeans were eagerly awaiting their most normal holiday season in a couple of years, the omicron variant has unleashed a fresh round of fear and uncertainty โ for travelers, shoppers, party-goers and their economies as a whole.
The Latest: Vegas goaltender dissatisfied with NHL protocols
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner railed against the National Hockey League on Wednesday, saying the league indicated it would relax coronavirus protocols for teams that reached a certain vaccination threshold and then changed course.
The Latest: Chattanooga postpones 2 menโs basketball games
___Boston College has postponed two menโs basketball games this week because of positive COVID-19 tests, prompting the Atlantic Coast Conference to juggle its schedule. Carolina, Dallas, Florida, Nashville and Tampa Bay have all had games postponed because of the pandemic. ___The Chattanooga Mocs have postponed a pair of menโs basketball games after a positive COVID-19 test among the teamโs Tier 1 personnel. ___The Southern Conference postponed three games because of positive COVID-19 tests within the Furman and Chattanooga menโs basketball programs. Furmanโs next scheduled game is Feb. 3 at Samford, while Chattanooga is slated to return to the court at Western Carolina the same day.
NHL: Canadian teams able to start season in home arenas
FILE - In this March 12, 2020, file photo, goals used by the NHL hockey club Nashville Predators are stored in a hallway in Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. The National Hockey League and players reached a tentative deal Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, to hold a 56-game season in 2021, pending the approval of each side's executive board and Canadian health officials. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)TORONTO, ONT โ The NHL believes all seven Canadian teams will be able to start the season playing in their home arenas. The league has been involved in discussions with the five provincial governments that have NHL teams to try to gain approval to start play Jan. 13. The NHL realigned its divisions for the season so that the North Division โ which features all seven Canadian teams โ would not have to cross the U.S.-Canada border, which remains closed to non-essential travel until at least Jan. 21.
NHL schedule: 868 games in 116 days, back-to-backs and more
The league released a first-of-its kind schedule Wednesday featuring four realigned divisions based on geography and limited to division play only. Each team will play 56 regular-season games, which will be squeezed into whatโs tentatively scheduled as a 116-day stretch ending on May 8. It includes an NHL first: An all-Canadian North Division made up the nationโs seven teams will play each other nine or 10 times. The NHL took into account the possibility of the ban being extended by having the Sharks open with eight straight road games. Arizonaโs schedule features the Coyotes playing a league-high 10 consecutive home games, though the Coyotes will also play eight straight on the road at one point.
NHL, players finalize agreement for 56-game season in 2021
The National Hockey League and players reached a tentative deal Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, to hold a 56-game season in 2021, pending the approval of each side's executive board and Canadian health officials. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)Hockey is set to return Jan. 13 after the NHL and players completed a deal Sunday to hold a 56-game season that would include playoffs lasting into July to award the Stanley Cup. The league's Board of Governors voted to approve the agreement that was backed by the NHL Players' Association executive board Friday night. The NHL completed last season in bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta, with players, coaches and staff isolated from the general public and virus-tested daily. In the three U.S. divisions, teams will play eight times against each other.
AP source: NHL eyes division play only; Sharks to Arizona
FILE - In this March 12, 2020, file photo, goals used by the NHL hockey club Nashville Predators are stored in a hallway in Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)The NHL is preparing for a pandemic-altered regular season limited to divisional play while trying to determine if the leagueโs seven Canadian teams will be allowed to play in their country. The deal has already received support from the NHL Playersโ Association, and features a 56-game regular season beginning Jan. 13. In an email to the AP, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly deferred questions to the Sharks regarding their status. As for the issues affecting the Canadian teams โ Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver โ Daly said they remain unresolved.
NHL, players reach tentative deal for 56-game season
The National Hockey League and players reached a tentative deal Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, to hold a 56-game season in 2021, pending the approval of each side's executive board and Canadian health officials. The NHL and players reached a tentative deal Friday to hold a 56-game season that would begin Jan. 13. Players on the NHLPAโs executive board call Friday night supported moving forward with the agreed upon terms, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting. Approval from health officials in the five Canadian provinces that have teams is still needed before the NHL can go ahead with the season. The NHL, like the NBA, finished its previous season in a quarantined bubble โ two of them, one each in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta.
NHL, union announce plan to resume play on Aug. 1
FILE - In this Feb. 20, 2020, file photo, Edmonton Oilers goalie Mike Smith warms up for the team's NHL hockey game against the Winnipeg Jets in Edmonton, Alberta. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press on Sunday, July 5, that the NHL and NHL Players Association have agreed on protocols to resume the season. Daly said the sides are still negotiating a collective bargaining agreement extension. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP, File)The National Hockey League and NHL Players Association have reached a tentative agreement to return to play this season and extend their collective bargaining agreement. Training camps would open July 13 and games would resume Aug. 1 if approved by the leagues board of governors and players executive committee and full membership.
The Latest: NHL says 26 players have reported positive tests
The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The National Hockey League says a total of 26 players have reported testing positive for the new coronavirus since voluntary workouts began June 8. The league says its aware of 11 other players testing positive outside the voluntary workout protocol. The NHL said more than 250 players who worked out at team facilities were administered more than 1,450 COVID-19 tests. The league and players are in the final stages of agreeing to resume the season. NASCAR moved Champions Week to Nashville in 2019 from Las Vegas.