A rookie tournament involving the Capitals, Panthers, Lightning, and Predators will not be played in South Florida due to the Hurricane Irma, the teams announced Wednesday. The news was first reported by the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan.
Hurricane Irma forces cancellation of NHL rookie tournament
With Florida in a state of emergency, there won’t be a rookie tournament in Estero this year.
Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images
The event, which was set to take place Sept. 9-12 at Germain Arena in Estero, Fla, will now be moved or cancelled. Khurshudyan says Nashville was considered as an alternative location, but “the only change that has been so far confirmed is the tournament will not take place in Florida.” However, there’s not much time to re-schedule at this point.
The state of Florida already declared a state of emergency to prepare for the Category 5 storm, which could be the most powerful storm to hit the Atlantic coast of the United States in over 10 years.
Other sporting events have also been cancelled or postponed, including a Week 1 NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a college football game between Miami and Arkansas State.
In the hockey world, rookie tournaments are played in various locations around North America in the lead up to the beginning of NHL training camps in mid-September. They’re a crucial opportunity for young players to impress team officials and get a jumpstart on earning NHL playing time during the upcoming season.
The Tampa Bay roster would’ve included top prospects such as Mikhail Sergachev, Taylor Raddysh, and Erik Cernak.
One of the biggest rookie tournaments is held annually in Traverse City, Mich., which will run from Sept. 8-12. The Blackhawks, Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, Stars, Red Wings, Wild, Rangers, and Blues will send teams to that event.
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