The Bruins reported to Brighton for a 10:30 practice Saturday morning, called it off because of an uptick in positive COVID-19 tests, and by 2 p.m. saw the NHL place the franchise’s playing schedule on pause through at least Dec. 26.
The pace of the action is picking up around the league’s 32 teams. But it’s the invisible hand of COVID-19, a virus that has claimed more than 800,000 lives in the United States and Canada, that is dictating the game’s every move — both on and off the ice.
By midafternoon, the Bruins announced two additions to their protracted COVID protocol list: forwards Taylor Hall and Curtis Lazar. It brought to nine the number of Bruins to test positive or to be deemed in close contact with someone who tested positive.
The Bruins in their last two games (both losses) already were without star forwards Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, as well as No. 2 right winger Craig Smith. Their designation to the COVID list left the Bruins at an obvious, if not lopsided, competitive imbalance that led to losses to the Golden Knights and Islanders.
Speculation around the league increased during the day, partly in light of both the Bruins and Predators being added to the franchises placed on pause, that league bosses this weekend could opt similarly to shut down all franchises through at least the holiday break.
If so, it would be the second league-wide pause in 21 months. In March 2020, at the start of the pandemic here in North America, the NHL put all of its then-31 teams on pause after some 70 games each. Weeks later, the league canceled the remainder of its regular season, then staged a full Stanley Cup tournament in the cities of Toronto and Edmonton over the summer.
The current pause for the Bruins, which also placed a temporary hold on team-related activity at Warrior Ice Arena, added three games to the Bruins’ list of postponements that already included their visit Saturday night to Montreal.
The additional Bruins postponements included Sunday’s matinee in Ottawa and the next two games at TD Garden: Tuesday vs. Carolina and Thursday vs. Colorado. The league, now adding daily to the number of teams it places in COVID pause, has yet to announce makeup dates for any of the games.
The Bruins said late Saturday morning that general manager Don Sweeney, his 14-10-2 club chasing a wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, would address the media later in the day. He had yet to comment by late afternoon.
Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeKPD.
