Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid has joined the growing list of players who have expressed their disappointment with the NHL's decision to pull out of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to COVID-19 concerns.
However, rather than lament another lost opportunity to compete on the world's biggest stage, the Oilers captain offered up a potential solution.
"They pushed the Summer Olympics back one year, maybe that happens again this year," McDavid said while meeting with the media, according to Oilers beat reporter Tony Brar. "Obviously it’s not looking that way, I think we do need to find a way to get a best-on-best tournament done at some point here.
"We can't go six, seven, eight years without playing best-on-best. I'd like to see something worked out if the Olympics don't get pushed."
This will mark the second straight Winter Games that NHL players will miss after the league didn't go to the 2018 Olympics in PyongChang.
The 2016 World Cup of Hockey was the last best-on-best hockey tournament. McDavid was captain of Team North America, which boasted a talented roster from the United States and Canada aged 23 and under.
McDavid said another World Cup of Hockey would be a "great second option," but there is no true substitute for the Olympics.
"I think you want to play at the Olympics because, for me, it's the biggest stage in sport," he said. "The Olympics is a stage that's on such a global scale and I think everybody wants to play on that stage."
TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported on "Insider Trading" earlier this month that there won't be a World Cup of Hockey in February as there isn't enough time to plan for an event of that scale.
The club previously placed Sam Bennett, Radko Gudas, Ryan Lomberg, Brandon Montour, Carter Verhaeghe, Aaron Ekblad, and Frank Vatrano on the COVID-19 list before the season paused on Dec. 22.
Huberdeau leads the Panthers with 33 points in 29 contests this season. Weegar ranks second on the team with 23:55 minutes of ice time per game.
The Panthers are slated to take on the New York Rangers on Wednesday night. Florida last played on Dec. 16 against the Los Angeles Kings.
The NHL and NHLPA have formalized a number of CBA exemptions to give teams battling COVID-19 cases some roster relief, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Teams that would dress fewer than two goalies, six defensemen, or 12 forwards for a game will now be permitted to make emergency recalls as long as the cap hit of the player does not exceed $1 million.
If a team's two regular goaltenders are not available, the club will be allowed to add an additional netminder.
Teams will also have the option to use taxi squads until the All-Star break, which is slated for Feb. 5. The taxi squad can have a maximum of six players on it at once and players can only be on it for 20 days or less.
Players can’t be on the taxi squad if they're on an NHL roster as of Dec. 22; are waiver-exempt; were on an NHL roster for at least 75% of the regular-season days or have played in 16 of a team’s last 20 games through Dec. 22.
The NHL began its holiday break early by pausing all games on Dec. 22 amid an outbreak of COVID-19 cases across the league. Games are expected to resume on Tuesday.
Toronto has the second-most players in protocol among NHL teams, trailing only the Calgary Flames as COVID-19 cases continue to spike around the league.
The NHL originally postponed three Maple Leafs contests from Dec. 16-19 and eventually paused all games from Dec. 22-26. It announced Friday that all games on Dec. 27 have also been postponed.
Toronto last played on Dec. 14 and is next scheduled to face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 29. The Maple Leafs have had five games postponed so far.
In the lead-up to the 2022 World Junior Championship, we're looking back at the 25 best players to wear the Canadian jersey at the tournament. Rather than evaluating entire careers, these rankings are based solely on performances during the world juniors. We have revealed five players each day, culminating here with the best of the best.
Jonathan Toews may not have cracked the list after notching just nine points in 12 games while taking home two gold medals, but he did deliver one of the most memorable moments in Canadian world junior history in 2007.
With Canada facing the archrival United States with a crop of immensely talented players on both sides, the semifinal game went to a daunting shootout. The lengthy duel went seven rounds, and Toews came up clutch by scoring on all three of his attempts - including the game-winner. Those heroics created a memory that will last a lifetime for most Canadians.
5. Ryan Ellis (2009, 2010, 2011)
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Ellis medaled in all three world junior tournaments he played in, collecting one gold (2009) and two silvers (2010, 2011). He's one of four players in Canadian world junior history to win three or more medals, and he did so while scoring at a ridiculous rate for a defenseman.
He was named Canada's captain in 2011 and was eventually named the best defender at the tournament. With 25 points across three events, he remains the highest-scoring blue-liner in world junior history.
4. John Tavares (2008, 2009)
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13
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Tavares helped lead Canada to its fourth and fifth consecutive gold medals, playing a major role in both triumphs. He produced four goals and an assist across seven games in 2008 before piling up eight markers and six helpers over six contests the next year. Tavares set up Jordan Eberle's dramatic tying goal in the 2009 semifinal and scored in the shootout to help Canada advance to the gold-medal game.
The dynamic center was named MVP and top forward at the 2009 tournament. Tavares is one of three players tied for second among Canadian skaters in all-time world junior goals and sits seventh on the country's all-time world junior points list.
3. Wayne Gretzky (1978)
Denis Brodeur / National Hockey League / Getty
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6
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9
Gretzky only appeared in the tournament once, but he put on an incredible show. He led the 1978 event with 17 points despite being the youngest player and still holds the record for most points in a world junior tournament for a 16-year-old.
Canada settled for a bronze medal that year, but Gretzky couldn't have done much more to help the team. He was named the tournament's best forward but never returned to the world juniors. Imagine what he could have accomplished if he played another year or two.
2. Eric Lindros (1990, 1991, 1992)
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21
12
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Lindros was one of the most highly touted prospects in NHL history, and his world junior performances did nothing but skyrocket his stock. "The Big E" won two gold medals, first cracking the Canadian roster as a 16-year-old in 1990 and registering four goals in seven games. Lindros recorded a combined 27 points in the following two events to become Canada's all-time leading world junior scorer.
1. Jordan Eberle (2009, 2010)
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"Can you believe it!?"
That epic call by TSN's Gord Miller is arguably the most iconic moment in world junior history. With Canada trailing 5-4 against Russia in the 2009 semifinal, Eberle scored the game-tying goal with just five seconds left in regulation. After Tavares shoveled the puck toward the net, Eberle showed incredible poise in front, going to his backhand and elevating the puck rather than trying to jam it in.
It's often forgotten that the game-tying tally was Eberle's second goal of the contest. He also scored the shootout winner for good measure. Eberle then registered a goal and two assists in the final against Sweden, helping Canada win its fifth straight gold medal at the tournament.
Eberle nearly pulled off similar heroics a year later. With Canada trailing 5-3 with under three minutes left in the gold-medal game against the United States, Eberle scored not one, but two goals to force overtime. It was not to be, though, as John Carlson won it for the U.S. in the extra frame. Despite falling short of another gold medal, Eberle was named tournament MVP.
While the clutch moments alone make him an easy choice for No. 1 on this list, Eberle also has the stats to back up his ranking. He sits second on Canada's all-time world junior scoring list and fifth in points per game.
Maple Leafs captain John Tavares and goaltender Jack Campbell are also in protocol along with defenseman Morgan Rielly, who landed on the list Thursday.
Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe, assistant Spencer Carbery, goaltending coach Steve Briere, and four other staff members are in COVID-19 protocol as well.
Nylander ranks second on the club with 13 goals and 18 assists over 30 games.
The NHL initially postponed three Maple Leafs games - on Dec. 16, 18, and 19 against the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, and Seattle Kraken, respectively - due to a spike in COVID-19 cases around the league and in North America as a whole.
The league then began its holiday break - which normally runs from Dec. 24-26 - on the 22nd. The Leafs' clash with the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, Dec. 23 was among those temporarily halted matchups.
On Friday, the NHL postponed all 14 games originally scheduled for Monday, Dec. 27. That included a game between Toronto and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The NHL is delaying the resumption of its schedule by a day, postponing the 14 games that had been slated for Monday, Dec. 27.
Here are the matchups that will now take place at a later date:
Away
Home
Pittsburgh Penguins
Boston Bruins
New York Islanders
Buffalo Sabres
Detroit Red Wings
New York Rangers
Ottawa Senators
Washington Capitals
Florida Panthers
Carolina Hurricanes
Toronto Maple Leafs
Columbus Blue Jackets
New Jersey Devils
St. Louis Blues
Nashville Predators
Dallas Stars
Minnesota Wild
Winnipeg Jets
Los Angeles Kings
Arizona Coyotes
Edmonton Oilers
Calgary Flames
Seattle Kraken
Vancouver Canucks
Colorado Avalanche
Vegas Golden Knights
San Jose Sharks
Anaheim Ducks
These are the four games scheduled for Tuesday:
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Montreal Canadiens
Tampa Bay Lightning
Blue Jackets
Chicago Blackhawks
Golden Knights
Kings
Coyotes
Sharks
The NHL started its holiday break - which normally runs Dec. 24-26 - two days early amid a slew of postponements and players landing in COVID-19 protocol.
The league has now temporarily called off 64 games this season.
The NHL said it expects to provide another update by the end of Sunday.
The IIHF canceled the U18 Women's World Championship on Friday.
This marks the second straight year the event has been axed due to the pandemic. The January tournament, one of seven canceled by the IIHF due to recent COVID-related developments, was supposed to take place in Sweden beginning Jan. 8.
"These are hard facts to have to face, and as with last year, we must take the difficult decision to cancel men's and women's IIHF events, including the women's U18 top division now for the second year in a row," said IIHF President Luc Tardif.
"It is the consensus of the IIHF Medical Committee that the organizers would not have the capability to manage an outbreak of the virus, especially with the rapid transfer of the omicron variant that we have seen in the NHL and other leagues."
Plenty of prominent professional women's players expressed their displeasure in the outright cancelation of the tournament despite the fact that the U18 men's championship is slated to begin this week.
It’s super insulting & degrading to announce the cancellation (not even postponement or relocation) of the Women’s U18 WHILE a men’s tournament is being carried on not once but TWO YEARS IN A ROW. Do better
Womens U 18=-$ World Junior=$$$$$$ Nothing to do with safety, if they can pull of the WJ. Where there is a will, there is always a way. I question the 'will' part. https://t.co/45NkiS69Lj
The IIHF has prioritized & held top division men’s events during the pandemic but the top division women’s events - cancelled - again. UNACCEPTABLE. Figure out how to safely play the U18 Worlds this season, just like the U18 men & #WorldJuniors. These players DESERVE to play too. https://t.co/QhDwaPdM4r
This is beyond disappointing. The IIHF has continually prioritized top men’s events during the pandemic but the u18 women’s event is cancelled - AGAIN. The u18 women’s tournament must be safely played the this season, just like the U18 men & #WorldJuniors. They deserve it. https://t.co/i3YdlP2wRC
It’s really time for @IIHFHockey to show that their organization values women in hockey and find a way to get the Worlds best U18 Women on the ice. Postponing/Rescheduling this TOP TIER tournament while keeping health & safety top of mind would be a great way to start! https://t.co/A4dDDNxDBc
