MA Coronavirus Spike: Bruins Season Halted; Harvard Goes Remote

BOSTON, MA — The Boston Bruins' season has been put on ice and Harvard University students were told to stay home after the holiday break amid the latest surge of coronavirus cases in New England.

The National Hockey League said Saturday afternoon that both the Bruins and Nashville Predators will have their seasons shut down through at least Dec. 26 because of virus breakouts on each team.

Boston's game at Montreal scheduled for Saturday night was postponed earlier this week after the Bruins had seven positive tests among players or coaches. An outbreak in the Colorado Avalanche franchise then forced the postponing of a scheduled game Thursday in Boston.

Then on Saturday, the league said the Tuesday game against the Carolina Hurricanes at TD Garden was postponed as well.

"Due to concern for a rising number of cases as well as the potential for continued COVID spread in the coming days the Boston Bruins' and Nashville Predators' seasons will be postponed at least through the completion of the holiday break," the NHL said in a statement.

The Bruins also canceled practice and closed the practice facility at Warrior Arena in Brighton on Saturday to players and staff until further notice.

Late Saturday afternoon, the team placed forwards Taylor Hall and Curtis Lazar in protocols.

"The league is in the process of reviewing and revising the Bruins regular season schedule," the Bruins said in a statement. "The Bruins organization has followed and will continue to follow, all recommended guidelines aimed at protecting the health and safety of its players, staff and community at large as set by the NHL, local, and national agencies."

The Bruins said tickets for the two home games will be honored when those games are rescheduled.

Boston's next game is currently scheduled for Dec. 27 vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Bruins pause came on the same day that Harvard University students and staff learned they will not be welcomed back to campus for at least three weeks following the winter break because of omicron variant fears.

"Please know that we do not take this step lightly," the school said in a joint statement from Harvard University President Lawrence Bacow and university officials. "It is prompted by the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases locally and across the country, as well as the growing presence of the highly transmissible omicron variant. It is enforced by the guidance of public health experts who have advised the university throughout the pandemic."

(Read the full story on the Harvard shutdown here.)

Cases have surged in Massachusetts, and throughout the Northeast, in recent weeks.

Massachusetts reported its highest weekly average death rate since April Thursday as coronavirus metrics remain high across the state. The state reached 5 million people fully vaccinated against the coronavirus this week, but the winter cases show no sign of abating yet.

In response to increased case counts on the North Shore, Danvers officials on Saturday issued a warning to residents to "exercise caution when meeting with friends and family or gathering in public places such as malls, restaurants, and entertainment venues" during the holiday season.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)