The New York Islanders' schedule has been delayed through at least the end of November due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the club.
Another player entered COVID protocols on Saturday as the Islanders dealt with an increasingly thin lineup. The league decided to shut down the team because they could potentially be without eight regular skaters.
The players who were already unavailable due to COVID were forwards Josh Bailey, Anders Lee, Kieffer Bellows and Ross Johnston, and defenseman Zdeno Chara.
The Islanders were to play the Rangers on Sunday and the Philadelphians on Tuesday. The Islanders' remaining slate will be reexamined once the club has a better idea of the health of its players.
The league stepped in on Saturday after New York failed to hit a threshold number of absences.
10 players and an assistant coach were put into COVID protocols by the NHL and the games were postponed. When the San Jose Sharks were without seven skaters due to the virus and the Pittsburgh Penguins had multiple players as well as coach Mike Sullivan dealing with illness, there was no cancellation.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said that every decision is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
The NHL hadn't seen fit to stop New York's season at that point, but before the Islanders opened their new home rink last Wednesday, general manager Lou Lamoriello was asked why.
"I don't know what the threshold is," he said. The doctors in the National Hockey League and the Players' Association are in charge of that. I've asked the question, but I don't know if there is a certain number of illnesses needed to postpone games.
The Islanders will have a chance to regroup. They had to start the season with a 13-game road trip. The loss of so many players has been a major factor in New York's poor start to the season and currently place at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division.
