Remaining Rivalry Series Games Canceled Due to COVID-19

COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on international hockey.  

Hours after Team USA was forced to forfeit their game versus Switzerland at the World Junior Championships due to positive COVID-19 tests from two of its players, Hockey Canada announced on Tuesday that both games of the "rivalry series" between the Canadian and American women's national teams have been canceled, as well. 

The games, which would have offered an intriguing prelude to the upcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in February, were scheduled to take place on Jan. 3 and Jan. 6. 

According to an official statement by Hockey Canada director of hockey operations Gina Kingsbery, “The risk associated with playing the final two Rivalry Series games with less than one month before our teams are set to compete in the 2022 Olympics is too high to finish our series with the United States."

This marks the second time in the past seven days that prominent women's hockey events have been canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. with the IIHF opting to cancel and not postpone the U18 women's world championship for the second straight year on Dec. 24. While the pandemic is obviously a serious issue, it's difficult to watch these important platforms for the women's game get tossed aside while the men's World Junior Championship continues to be held. 

The disappointments just keep coming.