NHL implementing taxi squads after break

The NHL will emerge this week from an extended holiday break with taxi squads and other roster revisions, a move made to guard against more disruptions to the season amid more players and coaches going into COVID-19 protocol Sunday.

Each team will be allowed to have a taxi squad of up to six players and to make emergency recalls from the minors if COVID-19 absences would cause anyone to play without a full lineup. Taxi squads, which were used last season, are set to be in effect until at least the All-Star break in early February.

Under the new provisions, any team shy of having 12 forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders available can bring up a player from the AHL without playing a game with fewer than the usual 18 skaters. Emergency recalls also can be made of players with salary-cap hits of up to $1 million.

Players on the taxi squad can be on the NHL club for a maximum of 20 days.

The goal of the changes is to keep the NHL season going after 64 games already have been postponed for coronavirus-related reasons. All 14 games initially scheduled for Monday previously were postponed to allow for analyzing of COVID-19 tests taken Sunday by players, coaches and staff upon returning to team facilities.

The NHL began its annual Christmas break a day earlier than anticipated last week amid a rapid increase of positive COVID-19 tests.

Auto racing: Martha Earnhardt, the matriarch of one of NASCAR’s best-known families, died Saturday night. She was 91. Earnhardt was married to Ralph Earnhardt from 1947 until the NASCAR driver’s death. Her son, the late Dale Earnhardt Sr., was a seven-time NASCAR champ and father of Dale Jr. and Kelley.

NBA: Jazz All-Star G Donovan Mitchell will miss at least the next two games due to a left lower back strain.