An NHL tradition has been put on hold.
The league and its Players' Association on Thursday announced the 2021 Winter Classic and All-Star Weekend has been postponed.
"Fan participation, both in arenas and stadiums as well as in the ancillary venues and events that we stage around the Winter Classic and All-Star Weekend, is integral to the success of our signature events," NHL senior executive vice president and chief content officer Steve Mayer said in a statement. "Because of the uncertainty as to when we will be able to welcome our fans back to our games, we felt that the prudent decision at this time was to postpone these celebrations until 2022 when our fans should be able to enjoy and celebrate these tentpole events in-person, as they were always intended. We are also considering several new and creative events that will allow our fans to engage with our games and teams during this upcoming season."
The Winter Classic was scheduled to be held at Target Field on Jan. 1 with the Minnesota Wild hosting the St. Louis Blues, while the Florida Panthers were set to host All-Star Weekend beginning Jan. 29.
It's worth noting that the statement also mentioned Thursday's announcement does not impact the NHL's target date of Jan. 1 to begin the 2020-21 season.
