ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - The 2020 NHL regular season has been "paused," according to a press release from the league. It follows a number of cancelations in major U.S. sports on Wednesday.
The St. Louis Blues were scheduled to play at home on Friday against the San Jose Sharks. Here's the full statement from the NHL:
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 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.
“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.
The NHL is halting play with 189 games left in the season and uncertainty about how many more — if any — could be played before the playoffs. A handful of European hockey leagues have already called off the remainder of their seasons.
So far, the NHL has not said any player has tested positive for COVID-19.
Two NBA players on the Utah Jazz tested positive for COVID-19 and the league decided to suspend play, as of Wednesday night. The next morning, Major League Soccer also decided to postpone its season.
All five of college basketball's Power Five conferences have canceled their basketball tournaments
This is a breaking news story that will be updated.
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