PHF postpones weekend action due to COVID protocol

Today, the PHF announced that all four of its games scheduled on the weekend of Jan. 9-10 have been postponed due to COVID-19 protocols.

The league clarified that COVID-19 protocols affecting the Boston Pride and Minnesota Whitecaps were the reason for the postponed games. The Pride were slated to play two games in Buffalo against the Beauts and the Whitecaps were on the schedule for a series in Ontario to play the Toronto Six.

January 5, 2022 (Brooklyn, N.Y.) – The Premier Hockey Federation has announced that the regular season games scheduled for Saturday January 8, 2022 and Sunday January 9, 2022 between the Minnesota Whitecaps and the host Toronto Six, as well as the Boston Pride and the host Buffalo Beauts have been postponed.

The postponements are due to COVID-19 protocols affecting the Boston Pride and the Minnesota Whitecaps. Both weekend series will be rescheduled for a future date to be determined.

This marks the second and third time this season where we have seen a PHF weekend series postponed due to COVID-19 protocols and the second time that protocols have kept the Pride off the ice. Less than a month ago, a series between the Pride and the Riveters was postponed for the same reason.

The announcement of these postponed games comes just one day after the Toronto Six announced that all home games would be operating without fans in attendance for the next four weeks, in accordance with the Province of Ontario's COVID-19 Health and Safety protocols. It’s also important to note that the 2022 All-Star weekend is supposed to take place in Toronto. That will definitely be something to keep a close eye on in the coming days and weeks.

Statement from the Toronto Six following the provincial announcement made yesterday. pic.twitter.com/VIXl2eRGY6

— Toronto Six (@TheTorontoSix) January 4, 2022

Needless to say, the pandemic has been a massive challenge for sports leagues across the globe. All of the challenges it poses are exponentially more difficult for women’s leagues. To speak bluntly, there aren’t as many resources available in the world of professional women’s sports to create potential solutions to postponed games — taxi squads, for example. It also should be said that almost every athlete in the PHF has a day job, some of which may or may not come with a heightened exposure risk to COVID-19.

The makeup date(s) for all four of these games will be announced by the PHF at a later date. PHF players haven’t played in a game since Dec. 19, 2021 and the Metropolitan Riveters haven’t played since Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021.