The National Hockey League (NHL) has announced the postponement of the Winter Classic and All-Star Game weekend due to uncertainty over the coronavirus pandemic.
The Winter Classic was scheduled to feature the Saint Louis Blues and the Minnesota Wild and was scheduled to take place on January 1, 2021 at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, in Minneapolis.
Separately, the Florida Panthers were scheduled to host All-Star Weekend at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Jan. 29-30, 2021.
In a press release, NHL executives indicated that they plan to return to Minnesota and Florida to host these flagship events in the near future.
The press release added that this announcement does not change the joint statement by the NHL and the Players’ Association of October 6 that they hope to start the next season on or around January 1.
According to Steve Mayer, senior executive vice-president and chief content officer for the NHL, fan participation in arenas, stadiums and ancillary arenas that support the Winter Classic and the Winter Game weekend stars is an essential element of these flagship events.
“Due to the uncertainty of when we will be able to welcome fans back to our games, we felt the prudent decision to be taken at this particular time was to postpone these celebrations until 2022,” Mayer said.
“When our fans are expected to be able to appreciate and celebrate these events in person, as they have always been intended. We are also looking at various new and creative events that will allow our fans to get involved in our matches and with our teams during the next season.” he added.
Last season the competition was played to the end of the bubble, and the NHL is now watching options for a safe run next season.
