Target Field was slated to welcome nearly 40,000 fans for the Winter Classic on Jan. 1GETTY IMAGES
The Wild are "very confident" they will host the Winter Classic in '22 after the NHL postponed the '21 event at Target Field "because of the ongoing uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic," according to Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. The league said that it "plans to return to Minnesota for the game in the near future." Since the NHL "isn't sure when that will be possible, and because fan participation is key to spectacles like the Winter Classic, the league decided to hold off until 2022, when fans should be able to watch in-person." The Wild have "long coveted the outdoor celebration." While the Wild "came close to nabbing the 2020 game," they ultimately lost out to the Stars and the Cotton Bowl in Dallas (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 10/23). In St. Paul, Dane Mizutani notes Target Field was "supposed to hold close to 40,000 people for the event, a number that obviously doesn't fall in line with the current restrictions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic." It is a "tough blow" for the Wild considering they "have been yearning to host the Winter Classic since its inception more than a decade ago" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 10/23).
ALL TIME LOW: The AP's Stephen Whyno noted South Florida and the Panthers were set to host the NHL All-Star Game for just the second time in '21, but the pandemic "has scuttled those plans." The All-Star Weekend was set for late January at the BB&T Center in Sunrise. When the Panthers will be hosting the event again is "uncertain." The All-Star Game was previously hosted by the Panthers in '03 (AP, 10/22). THE ATHLETIC's Michael Russo noted the All-Star Game is "more complicated to reschedule because the NHL is expected to participate in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing." That usually would mean there "would be no All-Star Game during the 2021-22 season." As of now, the Feb. 20, 2021, NHL Stadium Series Game featuring the Hurricanes at Carter-Finley Stadium "remains as scheduled" (THEATHLETIC.com, 10/22).
TIME WILL TELL: The NHL said that Thursday's announcement "does not impact its joint declaration earlier this month with the NHL Players Association that it is targeting on or around Jan. 1 for the start of the '20-21 season." In St. Louis, Jim Thomas writes that statement is "interesting, because there has been increasing speculation recently that the season might not start until February." The cancellation of both events "isn't really surprising given the ongoing coronavirus and the uncertainty over when the '20-21 season will start and what form it will take" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 10/23).
