NHL 'Evaluating Options' After NBA Suspends Season Due To Coronavirus Scare

While the NBA has already suspended its season after Utah Jazz’s Rudy Gobert tested positive for the Coronavirus, the NHL is still on the “wait and see” see phase with regards to their move at the height of the global pandemic.

The ice hockey league released a statement on Wednesday that reads, “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.

The NBA officially pulled the plug from continuing its games amid the intensifying uproar immediately after news surfaced that the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Utah Jazz was abruptly called off prior to tip-off as reports say there is a “belief” that the cancellation is due “illnesses of players.”

It was then confirmed that the Jazz’s All-Star big man has acquired the virus that has caused extreme alarm all over the world.

But prior to the said game, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN posted that the NBA was leaning towards holding the rest of its games behind closed doors instead of a cancellation.

“The NBA’s Board of Governors shared a consensus on Wednesday to continue the season playing games without fans in arenas amid the coronavirus crisis, and Commissioner Adam Silver is expected to move in that direction with a decision on Thursday,” Wojnarowski wrote after a prior word revealed that the league suspending the season was just being considered.

But it appears that even before the NHL makes its official announcement on Thursday, some teams have been taking the necessary precautions upon themselves to ensure that the spread of the disease will not reach their end.

The San Jose Sharks announced Wednesday that the team will not allow fans to its home games at the SAP Center which is also in compliance with the Santa Clara County public health department order of a “ ban on mass gatherings of more than 1,000 people.”

"Admission to games will be limited to home and visiting club personnel, approved credentialed media and broadcast partners, essential club and arena staff, and NHL officials," the team’s statement wrote.