NHL season suspended until further notice due to COVID-19
By Ryan Pike
4 years agoFriends, we have some bad news. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the National Hockey League has officially announced the postponement of the remainder of the 2019-20 season. The Calgary Flames have 12 games remaining in their schedule.
Per the league and commissioner Gary Bettman:
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 Flames have also released a statement:
The health, safety and well-being of our fans, staff and players remain the most important priority of Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation. CSEC is in full support of the National Hockey League’s decision to pause the 2019-20 season due to COVID – 19.As a result of this decision, the Flames home game this evening versus the New York Islanders and Saturday versus the Winnipeg Jets will not take place as originally scheduled. In addition, the National Lacrosse League game scheduled for this weekend at the Scotiabank Saddledome is suspended.We are currently working on answers to frequently asked questions from our various stakeholders and it is our intention to communicate on a regular basis as this situation is fluid. For further updates please refer to our website at www.calgaryflames.com.As with the NHL, we are hopeful to resume the season and playoffs when appropriate and prudent.
It’s unclear how long the postponement will last.
The Stanley Cup has been handed out annually since 1893. The two exceptions to that were due to the 1919 Spanish flu pandemic that halted the Stanley Cup Final between Montreal and Seattle, and the 2004-05 lockout. The NHL season was last interrupted in 1992 by a player’s strike that lasted 10 days and postponed the final games of the regular season.
We’ll have more on this as the story develops. Stay tuned to FlamesNation in the coming days as we try to fill the void of actual hockey games in our lives with some trips down memory lane as we celebrate the history of the Calgary Flames and hockey in the city.
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