If you’ve missed the Minnesota Wild over the past month, we have some good news for you.
The NHL announced a revised schedule for the Wild on Wednesday, re-scheduling six games that were postponed due to COVID-19 protocols last month and pushing back a Feb. 7 meeting with the Winnipeg Jets.
The seven-game stretch will begin on Feb. 8 with the trip to Winnipeg and end as part of a four-game Canadian road trip at Ottawa on Feb. 22. The dates for these games are as follows:
- Feb. 8 at Winnipeg Jets
- Feb. 12 vs. Carolina Hurricanes
- Feb. 14 vs. Detroit Red Wings
- Feb. 16 at Winnipeg Jets
- Feb. 18 vs. Florida Panthers
- Feb. 20 at Edmonton Oilers
- Feb. 22 at Ottawa Senators
The revised schedule creates a log jam at the back end of Minnesota’s schedule. According to The Athletic’s Michael Russo, the Wild will play 40 games in the final 77 days of the regular season. This comes after the Wild have played just five games in the past 30 days.
The end of the regular season was always going to be a grind due to the NHLPA’s plan to participate in the next month’s Olympic Winter Games in Bejing. After the players pulled out due to the spread of the omicron variant and the event’s COVID-19 protocols, the NHL used the break to revise their schedule, which has a major effect on the Wild.
With Joel Eriksson Ek expected to return for Friday night’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Wild should be nearing full strength. But with Cam Talbot out with a lower-body injury, the Wild will need to solidify a plan in net as they embark on a marathon to close out the year.
