Ice hockey-NWHL to play entire season in Lake Placid bubble

The compact season will run from Jan. 23 to Feb. 5 with all games played at the Herb Brooks Arena, home for the 1980 Winter Olympics hockey tournament. "The continued challenges brought by the pandemic resulted in a mandate for our league, players and partners to collaborate on creating a controlled environment protecting the health of everyone involved," NWHL Interim Commissioner Tyler Tumminia said in a statement.


Reuters | Washington DC | Updated: 26-11-2020 01:05 IST | Created: 25-11-2020 22:32 IST
Ice hockey-NWHL to play entire season in Lake Placid bubble
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The National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) will play the entire abbreviated 2021 season in a COVID-19 protective bubble in Lake Placid, New York, the league said on Wednesday. The compact season will run from Jan. 23 to Feb. 5 with all games played at the Herb Brooks Arena, home for the 1980 Winter Olympics hockey tournament.

"The continued challenges brought by the pandemic resulted in a mandate for our league, players and partners to collaborate on creating a controlled environment protecting the health of everyone involved," NWHL Interim Commissioner Tyler Tumminia said in a statement. "At a time of hyper-growth for girls' and women’s hockey, we see this season as a celebration of the sport. "This will be a historic moment as the hallowed arena that was the site of the 'Miracle on Ice' in 1980 hosts its first women’s professional championship."

Brooks, for whom the arena is named, coached the 1980 U.S. Olympic team that shocked the heavily favored Soviets and went on to win the gold medal. The league's six teams, including first-year expansion club the Toronto Six, will arrive on a staggered schedule and begin play on Jan. 23.

Each team will play five games followed by a playoff round that will determine the four teams advancing to the semifinals. Winners of the semifinals will play for the Isobel Cup on Feb. 5.

Despite the condensed schedule, the NWHL said all contracts will be honored and players paid in full. Players were given the opportunity to opt-out of the tournament and still receive their complete salaries.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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