There won’t be any Washington Capitals hockey tonight and for at least little while.
The NHL has announced that due to novel coronavirus outbreak that it’ll suspend the season until further notice. The Washington Capitals were scheduled to play the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night at Capital One Arena.
Additionally, the Capitals had a three-game homestand with games against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday and the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night before the news dropped.
The Capitals currently sit in first place through 69 games played and yet 13 still to go for the NHL to complete their 82 game slate with a 41-20-8 record with 90 points.
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The day began with morning skate being cancelled and tons of burning questions about what would happen for the game that was supposed to take place that night and what would happen regarding the rest of the season.
The NHL Board of Governors held a meeting at 1 p.m. via a conference call and jointly decided to pause the season. Despite the season being paused there’s still a goal for the league to resume play once the virus dies down. Gary Bettman said in a statement:
"“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 Capitals weren’t the only ones to cancel morning skate as teams all across the NHL were told to not conduct morning skates, practices or team meetings today.
Just moments before that Board of Governors meeting, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reported that on ice officials who were on the road to work NHL games were told to book flights back home.
The Capitals released a statement saying:
"The Capitals will continue to closely monitor the health of players, coaches and hockey operations staff. Those who exhibit illness symptoms will be evaluated by medical personnel and tested when necessary, per CDC guidelines. In addition, the Capitals and Monumental Sports & Entertainment will continue to monitor the situation with an emphasis on the health and safety of our fans, employees and players."
For more information about COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website or the website for your state’s Department of Health.