NEWSLETTER
The NHL originally had ten games on the schedule for yesterday, December 21, but with the rise in COVID cases leading to the shut down of numerous teams, only one of those ten games was played. That’s been the reality of the NHL over the past week and half. It was all coming to a point when the season needed to be paused and the dreams of seeing NHL players at the Olympics again would be dashed. Now the NHL is “off” until December 27, when the league hopes to resume as normal, whatever that means.
• Today, it was made official what we had all been expecting for some time: No NHL participation at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
It's Official: The NHL Will Not Be Heading to the Olympicshttps://t.co/p1rfkcRpTH
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) December 22, 2021
• The full release from the league and the NHLPA…
NHL announces that there will not be an Olympic break, NHL Players will not be able to participate in 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Full release: https://t.co/GkHDkNgZSo pic.twitter.com/ysBmWctzjw
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 22, 2021
• Now, the three-week break that was supposed to be for the Olympics following the NHL All-Star Weekend, will be used to make-up over 50 postponed games. Three of which will need to be made up for the Blackhawks, all home games.
And it's not just about re-scheduling postponed games in that three-week period but also moving other games around from teams that actually were not affected yet by cancellations so that those teams have games to play as well during that February period. 2/2
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) December 22, 2021
• Speaking of home games, the United Center will have updated health requirements starting on January 3, in accordance with new City of Chicago requirements.
United Center Will Now Require Proof of COVID Vaccination Beginning January 3https://t.co/vZu7MNSNY9
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) December 22, 2021
• Proof of a full COVID vaccination is now what you will need to provide to see Bulls and Blackhawks games. No longer will the recent negative test option be available for fans.
• As for the Blackhawks, they begin their Christmas holiday break relatively unscathed by the rise in COVID cases. Only Calvin de Haan has been placed in COVID protocol leading into the league’s pause. Knock on wood that it stays that way when the team reconvenes on December 27…
Derek King said he can't "babysit" his players over the break, but he trusts them to be smart and safe over the next handful of days.
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) December 21, 2021
• The schedule for the Blackhawks coming out of the pause looks like this…
Here's the Blackhawks schedule for the next week, as of right now:
Today: Held practice
22nd-26th: Off
27th: Practice
28th: Game vs. ColumbusThe NHL opened up the 26th as an available practice day to teams with the holiday break move, but the Hawks aren't going to take it.
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) December 21, 2021
• Chicago held their final practice before the Holiday break yesterday and we saw Jujhar Khaira return to the ice for the first time since his concussion against the Rangers earlier this month.
For the first time since suffering a concussion against the Rangers, Blackhawks forward Jujhar Khaira was back on the ice for practice. https://t.co/nICU7uCRkV
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) December 22, 2021
• Great to have him back skating with the team, but he is not going to be thrust right back into the lineup, according to Derek King.
Derek King on Jujhar Khaira: "We're not going to just throw him into the fire." Wants him to be "110 percent" before they put him in a game.
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) December 21, 2021
• Also back on the ice for the first time in a long time, Henrik Borgström has finally gotten over his case of “bad shrimp.”
Henrik Borgstrom is on the ice for practice. He had been out for a bit with a non-COVID-19-related illness. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/DhYA5O9eP7
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 21, 2021
• It would be great to have the Blackhawks come back from the Holiday break with as close to a full-strength lineup as possible. They will resume the season with a 11-15-4 record, sitting in seventh in the Central Division and ten points out of the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference.
• Having two future Hall of Famers going against each other in practice every day has been treat to watch this season between Patrick Kane and Marc-André Fleury. It has also been a treat to see their competitive relationship grow throughout the year.
Marc-Andre Fleury throws his stick at Patrick Kane, who scores in a shootout. Kane then kindly grabs Fleury’s stick before dropping it at his feet last second.
The antics continue 😂 #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/3VgCx2CDm2
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 21, 2021
• That’s just great stuff. Fleury was on NHL Network recently, calling Kane’s shot one of the hardest to stop that he has ever faced.
Marc-André Fleury calls Patrick Kane's shot one of the hardest to stop #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/SrZc8JRdya
— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) December 21, 2021
• Pretty high praise from a guy who has gone against Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel, and Evgeni Malkin in practice every day before.
• More COVID shut downs in the hockey world as the AHL has once again had to cancel their All-Star weekend that was set to be held in Laval, Quebec.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 #AHLAllStar Classic, scheduled for Feb. 6-7 in Laval, will not be held.
En raison de la pandémie de COVID-19, la Classique des étoiles 2022, prévue à Laval les 6 et 7 février, ne pourra avoir lieu.
📝: https://t.co/rrIhElqPT2 pic.twitter.com/FjnjYo3YfA
— AHL Communications (@AHLPR) December 22, 2021
• This is the second time that Laval has missed out on hosting the AHL All-Star weekend. The Rockford IceHogs might not have many All-Star caliber players on their AHL roster, but Lukas Reichel may have had a real case to be involved in the AHL All-Star weekend festivities this year.
• Speaking of prospects and COVID impacts, the upcoming World Junior Championships will be held to 50% fan capacity this year, with the tournament being held in Red Deer and Edmonton in Alberta.
Statement from Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney and president and COO Scott Smith on adjusted fan capacity at the 2022 IIHF #WorldJuniors: https://t.co/SIUozGat6z pic.twitter.com/KD6TWYhMCG
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) December 22, 2021
• This was supposed to be the “make up” tournament for Red Deer and Edmonton, after last year’s World Junior Championships was held there with no fans. This year’s tournament was originally supposed to be held in Gröteborg, Sweden, which will now host the 2024 tournament.
That leaves Red Deer at a capacity of 3,550 and Edmonton at 9,250. Both have sold well over 50% of the seats and now have to sort out refunds. Big blow for Hockey Canada, who were re-awarded the event because they lost fan $ in 2021. This year was originally planned for Sweden.
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) December 21, 2021
• The Blackhawks have four prospects headed to the World Junior Championships this year, with three of them playing with Team USA. Landon Slaggert returns to the U.S. team to help defend the 2021 Gold Medal, while Wyatt Kaiser and Drew Commesso join him.
• Yesterday, Team USA announced their leadership group for this year’s tournament, and Slaggert was named as an alternate captain.
#Blackhawks prospect Landon Slaggert has been named to the Team USA #WJC2022 leadership group.
Jake Sanderson named Captain, along with Matt Beniers and Brock Faber
(📸 @usahockey) pic.twitter.com/5R7qzIkJkT— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) December 21, 2021
• Team USA opens the tournament on December 26 against Slovakia, while Michael Krutil and the Czechs open the tournament on the same day against Team Canada.
• Want a good laugh to end today? The Anaheim Ducks had some fun with their Holiday greetings this year.
Our Ducks got quite the surprise when they were asked to do "holiday messages." 😂 #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/RLuydzDNaa
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) December 21, 2021
• Trevor Zegras cannot help himself from getting meme’d this year, it seems.
• Hey, Cubs fans … something to maybe start getting excited about:
If you missed the big rumor, the Cubs and Correa have reportedly been into each other even going back to before the lockout began.https://t.co/dCFoRMhJMZ
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) December 22, 2021
If the Cubs Want to Go Shorter-Term on Carlos Correa, the Average Annual Value is Gonna Have to Be Nuts – https://t.co/T2mY9KlhB5 pic.twitter.com/vMZR7ViIj4
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) December 22, 2021
• That will do it for today. Hope you all enjoy your Wednesday.
