The Western Hockey League announced Wednesday afternoon that four games hosted by Brandon and Winnipeg have been postponed due to capacity restrictions instituted by the Manitoba government.
The Warriors were to travel to Winnipeg on Monday, Jan. 3, but that contest will now be rescheduled to a later date.
Other games affected include Red Deer and Brandon on Jan. 1, which will now be played on Monday, Feb. 7, while the Jan. 7 game between Calgary and Brandon as well as the Jan. 8 game between Calgary and Winnipeg have been pushed back to a future date.
The move comes as COVID-19 cases have begun to rise at an extreme rate in Manitoba, including 785 cases Saturday, 694 cases Sunday and 675 cases Monday. The rise on Saturday -- Christmas Day -- was the highest single-day increase since the pandemic began.
In response, the Manitoba government instituted a 50 per cent gathering limit, or a maximum of 250 people, on Dec. 27. Brandon has averaged 3,177 a game in attendance this season, Winnipeg 1,592, and playing in front of crowds under the restrictions isn’t considered economically viable.
The postponements were the second announced by the WHL on Wednesday after a U.S. Division contest between the Portland Winterhawks and Tri-City Americans was rescheduled due to goaltenders on both teams entering COVID-19 protocols.
Also earlier in the day, it was announced that the World Junior Hockey Championship had been shut down due to three teams contracting the virus, leading to the forfeit of three games heading into play Wednesday. Information later in the day revealed the tournament will very likely be resumed at a later date, possibly in the summer.
For the latest on WHL news and announcements, be sure to keep an eye on WHL.ca.
