The NHL announced the revised schedule, filling up the February Olympic break with games that were previously postponed. New dates have been announced for 98 games, date changes for 23 more and a handful of start time changes for matches down the road. The full list of rescheduled games can be found here.
Notably, 95 games were rescheduled into the 16-day window from Feb. 7-22, originally held open for Olympic participation. That includes a slate of 10 games on Feb. 17, the busiest day of the previously empty block. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly released a statement on the changes:
"We are profoundly grateful to our fans for their support and understanding during a challenging time and to our Clubs, the NHL Players’ Association and the Players for their cooperation in a rescheduling of unprecedented logistical complexity."
For teams like the New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators, which have played in just 32 games so far this season (nine fewer than some other teams), it means a very full February schedule. The Islanders will play seven games between Feb. 9-22, while the Senators have 10 games between Feb. 7-22.
The NHL schedule makers are likely not done for the year, but the recently announced changes to the testing protocol should help avoid many postponements in the future. Asymptomatic players will no longer be tested after the All-Star break, save for those traveling across the U.S.-Canada border. So far, the league has not announced any games scheduled past April 29, originally noted as the final day of the regular season.
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