The sports world keeps taking hits on the coronavirus front. It was announced on Thursday that the league has decided to suspend all hockey operations indefinitely until the situation can be further examined.
As per someone on the Board of Governors call with the NHL, the season has officially been paused.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 12, 2020
The announcement comes as a little bit of a surprise, as the NHL had decided just last night to proceed with games. The league made the official announcement after the NBA’s announcement to suspend operations. Early this morning, the league advised teams to hold off on practices until a decision could be reached.
Given the uncertainty regarding next steps regarding the coronavirus, Clubs are advised not to conduct morning skates, practices or team meetings today.
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 12, 2020
And reach a decision they did, as the NHL immediately suspended games. They join the NBA, NHL, MLS, and MLB as the major sports have all decided to hold off until they can figure more out.