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The NHL announced that tomorrow night’s game between the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks has been postponed due to COVID concerns. This comes in the midst of a devastating outbreak that has affected almost every roster player on the Canucks.
Got confirmation from high ranking NHL source Edmonton is not flying to Vancouver today. Will not play Canucks tomorrow.
— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) April 15, 2021
This recent outbreak has been in the news for a number of weeks. The Canucks have been unable to play a game since a 5-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on March 24th. Canuck forward JT Miller has been critical of the NHL in rushing back players saying that he thought the league’s insistence in restarting their season was against the best interest of players.
This will also mark yet another Oilers game postponed due to COVID concerns. While the Oilers have not had any issues with the illness on their roster they have had run-ins with both Vancouver and Montreal. This has caused their season to be extended to May 13th, a date that is subject to change with recent events.
It is unclear whether or not the Canucks will be able to finish their season. The health and safety of the players and their families should be the league’s highest priority. They can’t keep delaying the end of the season forever, something has to give.
As for the Oilers, they will not be flying to Vancouver tonight as initially planned. They will stay in Edmonton and fly to Winnipeg tomorrow to prepare for an HNIC matchup against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.