50th NHL game postponed

The Capitals-Flyers game scheduled for Tuesday was postponed, becoming the 50th NHL game put off this season for coronavirus-related reasons.

The league said COVID-19 issues with the Capitals prompted the postponement. Defenseman Justin Schultz and forward Daniel Sprong began the team’s morning skate in Philadelphia but were pulled off the ice after their test results came back.

Forty-five of the 50 postponements have come in the last two weeks, with the delta and omicron variants spreading across North America. More than 15% of the NHL’s 700-plus players are in virus protocol.

♦ The American Hockey League postponed the Wolves’ scheduled games Wednesday and Thursday against the Monsters in Cleveland because of COVID-19 protocols. Makeup dates haven’t been set.

COLLEGES Miami football in COVID protocols

Miami’s plans to play in the Sun Bowl against Washington State on Dec. 31 in El Paso, Texas, are up in the air after the school announced its football program has entered COVID-19 protocols. The Hurricanes didn’t say how many players or coaches are dealing with virus-related issues.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 concerns at Georgetown and Boston College have caused their men’s basketball teams to take forfeits in their conference standings. The Hoyas were to play at Providence on Wednesday in the Big East, and the Eagles were to visit Wake Forest on Wednesday in the ACC.

♦ Former USC quarterback Kedon Slovis announced he is transferring to Pittsburgh.

MLB Salaries drop 4% from ’19 to ’21

Major League Baseball payrolls dropped 4% in 2021 when compared with the last full season in 2019, and the $4.05 billion teams spent on players was the lowest in a full season since they spent $3.9 billion in 2015.

♦ The Athletics officially named thirdbase coach Mark Kotsay to replace Bob Melvin as their manager and signed him to a three-year contract.