On Monday, the NHL announced that it was hitting pause on the 2021-22 season through the Christmas break.
On Tuesday, the second piece of disappointing news emerged, as the NHL and NHLPA came to an agreement that NHL players would not be participating in the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, after such participation had been agreed upon in the latest collective bargaining agreement. COVID-19 has forced a "material change" in the NHL schedule, to the tune of around 50 games having been postponed, and the NHL had the right to use the Olympic break to make up its own games rather than have the players compete in the Winter Games.