There's a lot of breaking news around the NHL today (January 4th, 2022). Let's get into it
Calgary Flames officially terminate arena deal
The Calgary flames are no longer building the Calgary Events Center as officially reported on Twitter today by the Calgary Flames organization. The deadline for the two sides to come to terms was set for December 31st.
Construction for the new arena was supposed to begin in early 2022 and total cost's were exceeding $630 Million.
The original plans were for a 19,000-seat arena in the Victoria Park area to the south of downtown Calgary, Alberta.
The arena was set to become the new home of the Flames, in replacement to the currently outdated Scotiabank Saddledome which has been their home since 1983-84.
The Flames management is expected to make a statement during this week. And as of right now, the team is planning to continue playing at the Saddledome.
Alex Ovechkin may lead the NHL in points soon
The 36-year-old is having one of his best seasons since joining the NHL. He is only three points behind Connor McDavid and two points behind Leon Draisaitl from claiming the top spot in the NHL in the points category.
The Oilers have been slumping recently (2-8-2 in last 12 GP), and this is mostly due to McDavid and Draisaitl not producing the way they had been previously in the season. This will give Ovechkin a great opportunity to run away with the top spot in points.
For goals, Ovechkin is second in the league behind only Draisaitl (25) with 24 goals in 34 games.
Devils place Dougie Hamilton on IR with broken jaw
Today, the Devils announced that defenseman Dougie Hamilton has been placed on the IR with a broken jaw.
The 28-year-old is set to have surgery on Wednesday.
The Devils currently sit in seventh in the Metropolitan Division at 13-15-5.
Hamilton has 7 goals and 13 assists in 30 games for the Devils so far this season.
Province of Quebec shortens COVID-19 isolation period
Some good news for Canadiens fans. The Province of Quebec has shortened the length of COVID-19 isolation to only 5 days now, following other provinces in Canada, the US NHL teams as well as CDC guidance.
Lots of COVID-19 cases around the league today
Connor McDavid has tested positive for COVID-19 and may be ruled out for the game between the Maple Leafs and Oilers tonight.
Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs has also tested positive, but has since tested negative two times in a row. His status for the game is unclear for the time being.
Today the Montreal Canadiens have added four players and an assistant coach to COVID-19 protocol. They now have 22 team members in the protocol
