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NBA suspends league play, NHL could be next

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James Tubb
March 11, 2020  (10:21 PM)
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After days of discussing whether or not professional sports teams would play in front of empty stadiums or not, the NBA has made the first move in Corona Virus prevention. Wednesday night after not allowing the Orlando Jazz and Oaklahoma City Thunder to take the court, the NBA has decided to suspend league play until further notice.

The Jazz and Thunder are currently being quarantined in the Oklahoma arena.

There is a very good chance that the NHL could follow the NBA's action. Although the NHL does not currently have any active cases of COVID-19 within its league, the chance of it spreading on the ice or amongst fans is one that should not be ignored.

The NHL currently has five games on tap for Wednesday night. The San Jose Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets have already announced they would be playing games in front of empty arenas to follow the guidelines set by their state for the spread of the virus.

The NHL has issued a statement that they will, "continue to consult with medical experts and evaluate their options." Another statement is to come on Thursday. The last time the NHL cancelled a season and did not award the Stanley Cup was in 1919 when the Spanish Flu was running rampant.

NHL playoffs are currently set to begin April 8.