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The National Hockey League decided to suspend operations due to concern for the recent outbreak of the coronavirus, the league announced Thursday. The league is hoping to resume play sometime in the spring, though the situation remains fluid, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan.
“In light of ongoing developments resulting from the coronavirus, and after consulting with medical experts and convening a conference call of the Board of Governors, the National Hockey League is announcing today that it will pause the 2019-20 season beginning with tonight's games,” the statement read.
“The NHL has been attempting to follow the mandates of health experts and local authorities, while preparing for any possible developments without taking premature or unnecessary measures. However, following last night's news that an NBA player has tested positive for coronavirus — and given that our leagues share so many facilities and locker rooms and it now seems likely that some member of the NHL community would test positive at some point — it is no longer appropriate to try to continue to play games at this time.”
The NHL is the second major professional league to suspend its operations after the NBA took the plunge on Wednesday following the positive coronavirus test result from Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert. That was followed by teammate Donovan Mitchell also contracting the virus.
Hockey is taking all due precautions, hoping to provide a safe experience for the fans, players, and employees — taking in account the advice of many panels trying to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“We will continue to monitor all the appropriate medical advice, and we will encourage our players and other members of the NHL community to take all reasonable precautions — including by self-quarantine, where appropriate. Our goal is to resume play as soon as it is appropriate and prudent, so that we will be able to complete the season and award the Stanley Cup. Until then, we thank NHL fans for your patience and hope you stay healthy.”
