NHL reschedules 98 games, including four Rangers contests

Oct 21, 2021; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) celebrates with New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) and New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) after a win against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Rangers had four games rescheduled as NHL teams seek to get in a full 82-game schedule amidst the ongoing health crisis.

As it attempts to get its full schedule in amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Hockey League announced the rescheduling of 98 games, four of which involve the New York Rangers. All but three of the adjusted matchups, postponed due to team issues with the ongoing health crisis, have been scheduled to take place from Feb. 7-22, which was originally set aside to allow for player participation in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

“We are profoundly grateful to our fans for their support and understanding during a challenging time, and to our clubs, the NHL Players’ Association, and the players for their cooperation in a rescheduling of unprecedented logistical complexity,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement released on the league’s website.

The Rangers will play three games during what was originally the Olympic break: they’ll face the Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden (originally made to be their first post-Christmas game on Dec. 27) on Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. ET before going to Ottawa on Feb. 20 to make up a Nov. 20 game against the Senators at 5 p.m. ET.

To accommodate the changes, the Rangers saw an April 24 game against the Boston Bruins moved up to Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. Another delayed December game, their Dec. 22 MSG game against the Montreal Canadiens, is now the Rangers’ penultimate game of the regular season on Apr. 27.

The Senators were the team most affected by the postponements and subsequent reschedulings, as ten of their games were shifted. Carolina, Edmonton, Toronto, and Winnipeg are next on the list with eight each. Adjustments to the national television schedule will be announced at a later date. The end of the regular season is still scheduled for Apr. 29, with the Rangers scheduled to take on the Washington Capitals at home.

The Rangers (25-10-4) return to action on Wednesday night, set to partake in a regularly scheduled nationally televised game against the Toronto Maple Leafs (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT).

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags