Revealed: NHL matchup under threat of cancellation

Two NHL teams have been left uncertain over whether their game will go ahead tonight after travel issues disrupted plans.

According to Columbus Blue Jackets insider Aaron Portzline, the Blue Jackets were forced to scrap their travel arrangements late last night. While the exact reason was initially unclear, weather conditions are believed to have played a significant role. Portzline reported that Columbus has been experiencing winds of up to 50 miles per hour, along with falling temperatures throughout Monday.

As a result, the Blue Jackets were grounded in Columbus amid concerns that travelling to Ottawa could be unsafe. They are scheduled to face the Ottawa Senators at 7:00 pm ET, but the game would need to be postponed or cancelled if the team is unable to travel.

Conditions in Ottawa have also been problematic, with reports of freezing rain and wind gusts exceeding 40 miles per hour on Monday morning, further complicating travel plans.

Update: Portzline later confirmed that a new flight has been arranged for 10:00 am ET. The current plan is for the Blue Jackets to skip their morning skate and proceed with the game in Ottawa this evening. As things stand, the matchup is still scheduled to go ahead.

Portzline also noted that the aircraft was initially grounded due to mechanical issues, though weather conditions would likely have caused delays even without those problems.