The NHL's holiday break will begin a bit earlier than anticipated.
The NHL announced on Monday that the season will go on pause Wednesday, two days earlier than scheduled, for the holiday break. Players will now report back to their teams on the 26th, rather than the 27th. The 26th is only allowed to be used for testing, practice, or travel. A player must receive a negative test to re-enter the team's facility.
The change in schedule means that the Penguins' game at home against the Flyers originally scheduled for Thursday has been postponed.
The Penguins' game against the Devils on Tuesday was already postponed due to COVID issues impacting the Devils' organization. The team will hold an 11 a.m. practice in Cranberry instead, now the last team activity before the holiday break.
The two games elsewhere in the NHL on Tuesday -- Capitals at Flyers and Lighting at Golden Knights -- are scheduled to go on as planned.
The Penguins' first game on the schedule following the holiday break will be against the Bruins on Dec. 27. The NHL on Saturday shut down the Bruins' team activities through the holiday break due to significant COVID protocols impacting the Bruins.
The NHL already had nine teams -- the Blue Jackets, Canadiens, Maple Leafs, Red Wings, Bruins, Predators, Flames, Avalanche, Panthers, -- completely shut down through the holiday break.
