Everyone enjoys a bit of sport. Sitting down with the family to watch the evening’s game is an activity that is enjoyed by many people in the world and it is likely ingrained into most cultures. If you call your home America, then it’s likely that the family would sit down to watch sport like ice hockey, which is one of the most exciting there is. Ice hockey also happens to command a great betting scene, though those who have tired of predicting incorrectly might appreciate playing at some more sites just like these online casinos here.
Current landscape
As most people will be aware, recent world events have meant that organisations such as those that run the world’s premier league have been impacted and often forced to postpone games. Fans of sport will remember last year as it became one that was characterised by an outright absence of sport. This was when COVID was still at its peak, and teams were advised by governing bodies that sport had to be paused for a time. When it came back, to the joy of millions, many leagues around the world found that COVID outbreaks would force games to be postponed, in order to protect the players and staff.
Game postponed
The last year has seen the world return to a relative sense of normality, and sport continues as normal. However, the fact that games are still being postponed highlights that COVID isn’t a problem that can just be brushed under the carpet, as the NHL has recently shown. On Sunday, ice hockey enthusiasts were likely shocked to discover that some of the games scheduled for the following Monday were to be postponed. These games were Ottawa Senators vs Edmonton Oilers and the Tampa Bay Lightning vs New Jersey Devils.
While the Senators n Oilers game has been scheduled to take place this coming Saturday, no future date for the Tampa Bay Lightning v New Jersey Devils game has yet been decided. While this is likely disappointing for fans who were excited to see their favourite teams play on Monday, it is a procedure that is in place in many sports across the world to protect everyone involved in the game. The postponing of Monday’s games follows a pattern that the NHL has been seeing since the season began. Since this time, a staggering 103 games have been postponed with just six of those begins successfully rescheduled.
The impact of postponed games
Given the number of games that have been postponed, it is likely that fans of ice hockey might be feeling rightfully frustrated with the lack of entertainment. Senators coach D.J Smith shares this sentiment, saying, “I know it’s a tough time for everyone”. He also added, “It’s hard on the League. It’s hard on everyone, but we just want to play”. It is clear to see that COVID has had a massive impact on sport and the enjoyment of it as it has many other areas in society. As we enter a new year living with COVID, sports fans and just about everyone else will be hoping that things can return as they were before the pandemic.