The NHL announced Monday that the Ottawa Senators have suspended operations through at least November 20th, due to 10 Senators players being placed currently into the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. This is the first time any North American major professional sports league has been hit by rescheduling this fall due to COVID-19 related issues. Neither the NFL nor the NBA has had to postpone a game so far this fall. Major League Baseball had nine virus-related postponements among 2,430 scheduled games, down from 45 in last year’s shortened 900-game schedule.

Three of Ottowa’s games need to be rescheduled due to the suspension of operations; the Senators were supposed to be in New Jersey on Tuesday night to meet the Devils, before hosting the Nashville Predators on Thursday and the New York Rangers on Saturday. Next Monday’s game vs. the Colorado Avalanche remains as scheduled as of press time. The NHL will work with the Senators and their opponents to reschedule these games.

The Senators training facilities are also closed to players until 11/20 in an effort to curb the spread inside the organization. The league said in a statement: “The Senators organization has, and will continue to follow, all recommended guidelines aimed at protecting the health and safety of its players, staff and community at large as set by the NHL, local, provincial and national agencies.”

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