Florida Panthers schedule impacted following Dallas Stars’ positive COVID-19 tests
The Florida Panthers’ first two games of the 2021 season against the Dallas Stars have been postponed due to positive COVID-19 tests in the Stars organization.
The NHL announced Friday that the start of the Stars’ schedule will be revised after six players and two staff members on the team recently tested positive for COVID-19. The Panthers were set to host the Stars on Thursday and Friday at the BB&T Center to begin the season.
“As a result of the positive tests, and as an appropriate precaution, the team’s training facilities have been closed, effective immediately, and will remain closed for several days while further daily testing and contact tracing is conducted,” the NHL said Friday in a statement. “The League is in the process of reviewing and revising the Stars’ regular season schedule with the expectation that the team will not open its 2020-21 season earlier than Tuesday, January 19.”
The NHL will announce the dates and times on which the games will be made up once the schedule is revised.
The Panthers, in a statement, said, “The safety of our fans, players, personnel, and the community are, and will remain, our top priority, and therefore we, along with the Dallas Stars organization, will continue to follow all recommended protocols and guidelines as we observe this postponement.”
The news comes five days before the NHL begins its 56-game regular-season, one that has teams playing solely against teams in their own division during the regular season. The Panthers are in the eight-team “Central” division, which also includes the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Nashville Predators. Florida is scheduled to face each team eight times.
With the Stars games postponed, Florida’s new season opener will be its two-game set against the Blackhawks on Jan. 17 and 19 at the BB&T Center before going on a six-game road trip.
The Stars aren’t the only team going through COVID-19 issues during training camp. The Columbus Blue Jackets had 17 players missing from practice on Friday “out of an abundance of caution and in accordance with NHL Covid-19 protocols,” according to the team’s public relations department.
The Panthers have had four players — goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, forwards Patric Hornqvist and Juko Lammikko, and defenseman Markus Nutivaara — who have yet to take part in training camp because they have been deemed unfit to play,” the catch-all term the NHL is using now during the age of COVID-19.
Under NHL guidelines, teams are not allowed to comment on whether players are out due to COVID-19 testing or are in contact tracing. However, the league will announce if players test positive once the season begins.
Defenseman Chase Priskie and goaltender Sam Montembeault have also missed practice time but were on the ice for the team’s scrimmage on Thursday.
This story was originally published January 8, 2021 at 1:13 PM.
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