NWHL Suspends '21 Bubble Season After New Positive Tests

The NWHL is "suspending" its '21 bubble season that had been taking place at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y. The six-team league was attempting to "pull off a two-week season in one location" after the coronavirus pandemic ended the '20 slate last March. But quickly, COVID-19 issues took hold and NWHL leaders "made the decision to end play with just three games left on the schedule." In a statement, the NWHL said that "new positive tests and concerns over the safety of the players and staff prompted the suspension" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/3).

This comes after Dick’s Sporting Goods signed on as presenting sponsor of the NWHL’s '21 Isobel Cup trophy presentation and the Final MVP Award. The semifinals and Final had been set to air tomorrow and Friday, respectively, exclusively on NBC Sports Network in the U.S. as well as internationally on Twitch (Mark J. Burns, THE DAILY).