NHL Postpones Another Kraken Match Over COVID Concerns

SEATTLE — COVID-19 concerns continue to complicate the Seattle Kraken's inaugural season. Anyone hoping to catch a hockey match this week in Seattle is out of luck: This weekend, the NHL announced that Tuesday's home game against the New York Islanders had been postponed due to COVID-19 concerns.

Now, Thursday's game has also been postponed.

The NHL announced the postponement Monday morning, blaming COVID-19 issues currently impacting the Ottowa Senators. The teams will face off at a later date.

It may be the first time the team has had two home game postponements in a single week, but it's far from novel— more than 70 NHL games have been postponed this season due to COVID-19 complications. Many of the postponements have been over the last few weeks, as the more-transmissible omicron variant of the coronavirus has swept the nation.

Unlike some sports leagues, which have tried to power through the rising wave of infections, the NHL has made an effort to tamp down on transmissions— even if it means disappointing fans or cancelling events. Just last month the league announced that it was banning NHL players from participating in the Beijing Olympics after several players tested COVID-19 positive.