The NHL will continue to evaluate its options and released the following statement Wednesday evening.
“The National Hockey League is aware of the NBA’s decision tonight to indefinitely suspend its season due to a player testing positive for the coronavirus. The NHL is continuing to consult with medical experts and is evaluating the options. We expect to have a further update tomorrow (Thursday).”
NHLPA Statement: “We are in continuous contact with the NHL regarding the coronavirus and the recent announcement by the NBA. These discussions will continue tomorrow morning, and we will consult with players before commenting further.”
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) March 12, 2020
The NBA suspended its season Wednesday evening and stated, “will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”
Utah Jazz forward Rudy Gobert has tested positive for the coronavirus. Players on the Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder have been quarantined in the OKC arena according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
As you can see from NBC News’ live updates, the World Health Organization called the coronavirus a pandemic for the first time on Wednesday. This comes after more than 1,000 people in the U.S. have been infected with the coronavirus, a number that could climb considerably once testing ramps up.
Scott Charles is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @ScottMCharles.