NHL shuts down the Calgary Flames over Covid concerns.

The Calgary Flames are the latest team to be shut down by the National Hockey League.

On Monday morning the NHL announced that they would be shutting down the Flames for a few days after a sudden surge in cases inside of the organization, including 6 players and another member of the Flames staff all testing positive. Although the number of cases here is not as high as we have seen in some other teams around the league, the fact that these positive test results have all come in rapid succession, all within the span of 24 hours, appears to be why the NHL has moved so quickly in this particular instance.

Here is the NHL's official statement:

The National Hockey League announced today that as a result of six Calgary Flames Players and one staff member entering the NHL’s COVID Protocol within a 24-hour period, concern with continued spread, and the likelihood of additional positive cases in the coming days, the team’s games will be postponed at least through Thursday, Dec. 16. The decision was made following consultation by the NHL’s, the NHLPA’s and Club’s medical groups.

As an appropriate precaution, the team’s training facilities have been closed, effective immediately, and will remain closed for Players until further notice. The League is in the process of reviewing and revising the Flames regular season schedule.

The Flames organization has followed, and will continue to follow, all recommended guidelines aimed at protecting the health and safety of its Players, staff and community at large as set by the NHL, local, provincial and national agencies.

It sounds like the fact that the team was currently scheduled to be on the road in Chicago may have played a significant factor in this move as well, although admittedly that is only speculation at this time. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman is reporting that the Flames did not travel to Chicago over concerns with the border, specifically how it could impact the players who had tested positive. According to Friedman those players could have been subjected to a lengthy quarantine process in the United States of America before being allowed back into Canada as a result of their positive tests.

Update: Hailey Salvian has provided an update on those who have been impacted.