Carolina Hurricanes at Minnesota Wild Game Postponed due to Covid-19

An expanding Covid-19 outbreak among the Carolina Hurricanes has led to the NHL postponing tonight’s game between the Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild in St. Paul.

Adam Gold of 99.9 The Fan was the first to report on Twitter that the game would be postponed, followed by additional reports from Michael Russo and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Cory Lavalette of North State Journal, and ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. The NHL confirmed the news about 30 minutes later.

The Hurricanes left Canada yesterday afternoon en route to Minnesota, where they received Covid tests this morning. Sources indicated to Russo that at least four players have tested positive, adding to the positive tests that were returned yesterday for Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis along with a member of the training staff. The three members of the traveling party remain in Vancouver, where they will be subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine that would have them remain in Canada until December 27.

The NHL’s standard procedure when postponing games is to wait until a later time to reschedule the game. One possibility would be January 5, currently an off day for both teams and an available date with nothing scheduled at Xcel Energy Center.

Below is the release from the NHL:

Hurricanes vs. Wild Game Tonight Postponed

NEW YORK (Dec. 14, 2021) – The National Hockey League announced that, as a result of four additional Carolina Hurricanes Players entering the NHL’s COVID Protocols earlier today, the team’s game tonight against the Minnesota Wild will be postponed. The decision was made following consultation by the NHL’s, NHLPA’s and Club’s medical groups. The League will provide a further update tomorrow.

The Hurricanes organization has followed, and will continue to follow, all recommended guidelines aimed at protecting the health and safety of its Players, staff and community at large as set by the NHL, local, state and national agencies.

The Canes have announced the four additional players that have entered COVID protocols, as Jordan Staal, Andrei Svechnikov, Ian Cole and Steven Lorentz are now in protocol. They join Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and a member of the training staff in protocol, with the newer four in Minnesota and the first three in Vancouver.