Blackhawks’ game Monday postponed because of Flames’ COVID-19 outbreak

The Blackhawks’ homestand won’t begin Monday after all.

The Hawks’ scheduled game against the Flames at the United Center was postponed by the NHL on Monday morning due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Flames.

The Flames have six players and one staff member in COVID protocols and there is “concern with continued spread and the likelihood of additional positive cases in the coming days,” the NHL said.

The team didn’t travel from Calgary to Chicago on Sunday ahead of the game due to concerns about players testing positive in the U.S. and thus being unable to return to Canada with the team due to border-crossing restrictions, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported.

The Flames’ games Tuesday against the Predators in Nashville and Thursday against the Maple Leafs in Calgary were also postponed.

The Hawks will return to action Wednesday against the Capitals at the United Center, and the team’s ceremony to honor Marc-Andre Fleury’s 500th career win last week will happen then. A makeup date for the Flames game wasn’t immediately announced.