In a rare occurrence for the National Hockey League, tonight’s NHL schedule is completely empty. This has left many fans and analysts wondering about the factors behind this unusual situation.
As reported by Jeff Marek, several unique circumstances have converged to create this anomaly.
NHL Rumors: John Klingberg headed to LTIR?
Insights into Tonight’s Empty NHL Schedule
Firstly, only three arenas – in Vancouver, Calgary, and Arizona – are available to host games tonight. This limitation is significant but not the sole reason for the blank schedule. Typically, Canadian teams are sent to the U.S. during the week of Thanksgiving Eve and Black Friday. This is because American teams generally request home games during this holiday period, leading to a reshuffling of the usual schedule.
Arizona’s decision not to host back-to-back home games on Tuesday and Wednesday further complicates the scheduling. The team’s preference has a domino effect, impacting potential matchups and the overall league schedule.
Additionally, 12 teams are set to play on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Scheduling a game on Tuesday for these teams would mean they’d be facing a grueling four games in five nights – a scenario the league typically tries to avoid due to concerns over player health and performance.
Lastly, the four teams that traveled to Sweden for games are not available for tonight’s slots. Their involvement in international matches and the subsequent travel and recovery time are factors that have been considered in the scheduling decisions.
In summary, a combination of limited venue availability, specific requests by American teams for holiday home games, back-to-back game avoidance, and the impact of international play has led to an empty NHL slate tonight. It’s a rare alignment of circumstances that underscores the complexities of professional sports scheduling.
