UPDATED 4pm November 23)

Due to a positive Covid test within the MSU Mankato hockey team, today’s game at the Sanford Center has been postponed. No makeup date has yet been announced.

Also late this afternoon, NOrthern Michigan announced that they are shutting down hockey operations until at least December 5th after a Covid outbreak in their program. That also affects the Beavers scheduled series in Marquette December 4th and 5th.

No makeup dates have been announced for either of these series.

At this point, there is also no word on the status of this weekends games in Mankato, as contact tracing is still being conducted.

Here’s how the testing procedure works in the WCHA:

Teams (players, coaches, equipment staff, athletic trainers, and anyone with access to the players at the rink) are listed as Tier 1. All tier 1 people need to test three times per week. Generally, these tests will be conducted prior to leaving for a weekend, during the weekend, and after the weekends games.

Members of the media that are allowed access to players must also test each week. School sports information staff that have access to the Tier 1 people during the week, must be tested. Media and school staff that do not have access to Tier 1 people do not have to test. Bus drivers and others in close contact with Tier one people also must test each week.

This creates a “bubble” while at the rink, but does not mean that Tier 1 people won’t be exposed in their regular life activities (grocery store, other public spaces, etc). That’s why there are three tests required each week.

Once a positive test comes back, all Tier 1 people on that team are quarantined until full contact tracing can be done. Tier 1 members from the opponent are also checked for contact tracing.

Until this is finished, I can’t tell you what the status is for this weekends games that are scheduled in Mankato. Again, the only thing we know for certain today is that there is NO GAME TODAY.