Well, it’s official… The Florida Panthers won’t be hosting the 2021 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend at BB&T Center in late January.
That event and the 2021 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, featuring the Minnesota Wild facing the St. Louis Blues at Target Field in Minneapolis, MN, scheduled for January 1, 2021 have been posted by the NHL due to the ongoing uncertainty resulting from the coronavirus.
“Fan participation, both in arenas and stadiums as well as in the ancillary venues and events that we stage around the Winter Classic and All-Star Weekend, is integral to the success of our signature events,” said NHL Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Content Officer Steve Mayer. “Because of the uncertainty as to when we will be able to welcome our fans back to our games, we felt that the prudent decision at this time was to postpone these celebrations until 2022 when our fans should be able to enjoy and celebrate these tentpole events in-person, as they were always intended. We are also considering several new and creative events that will allow our fans to engage with our games and teams during this upcoming season.”
The NHL intends to return to both Minnesota and Florida for these signature events in the near future.
The announcement does not impact the joint declaration made by the NHL and National Hockey League Players’ Association on October 6 that the target date for stating the upcoming regular season remains on or around January 1. That potential return just won’t be outdoors.