The NHL can sometimes have a weird schedule and Tuesday, November 21, is a total odd ball. The league has zero games on the schedule two days before Thanksgiving.

Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek took to his Twitter account to explain the reasons why and it’s pretty complicated.

No NHL games tonight here's why…
There are only three teams/building available to host games tonight – Vancouver, Calgary, Arizona.

Canadian teams get sent to the US this week for Thanksgiving Eve/Black Friday since home games this week are requested by American teams.

— Jeff Marek (@JeffMarek) November 21, 2023

Arizona did not want to play back-to-back home games Tuesday and Wednesday.

12 teams playing Wednesday, Friday, Saturday so cannot schedule a Tuesday or that would be 4 games in 5 nights.

Also, the 4 teams who went to Sweden are not available.

— Jeff Marek (@JeffMarek) November 21, 2023

It’s unclear where the Capitals fall in Marek’s list. Capital One Arena appears to have no ticketed events planned for Tuesday night.

Because of all of this, the Capitals feel this scheduling quirk in an especially silly way. They play on Thanksgiving Eve and on Black Friday after a two-game in 10-day stretch where they had two separate three-day breaks. Their game against the Buffalo Sabres on Thanksgiving Eve is typically one of the biggest travel days of the year while the Capitals play the Edmonton Oilers on Black Friday in the mid-afternoon (3 pm).

Previously this season, the NHL introduced Frozen Frenzy where every team in the NHL played with staggered start times. The idea is fun and creative, but in execution seemed odd. For instance, the Capitals’ game against the Toronto Maple Leafs was picked to be the first of ESPN’s tripleheader that night, forcing puck drop to be moved up to 6 pm on a weekday.

It’s worth noting: the NHL will also have no games on Thanksgiving Day as well, giving teams two days without playing in three days.