On August 20, while calling a game between the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders, Milbury praised the playoff bubble system designed to isolate teams during the COVID-19 pandemic because there were "not even any women here to disrupt your concentration." His comments received quick condemnation from the NHL. Milbury apologized the next day, and NBC released a statement saying the issue had been addressed, though they did not publicly elaborate any further, nor did they indicate whether Milbury would face any discipline. "The Washington Post" reported that NBC had removed Milbury from that evening's broadcast schedule and did not announce the following weekend's broadcasting teams until Saturday morning. Milbury announced on August 22 that he would be stepping away from the broadcast booth for the remainder of the playoffs, so as not to be a distraction. On January 11, 2021, NBC announced that Milbury's tenure with the network was done and he would not be part of its broadcast lineup for the 2021 NHL season.