The Buffalo Sabres signed Penn State forward Brandon Biro to a two-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Wednesday.Biro, who captained the Nittany Lions for the 2019-20 season, recorded 25 points in 25 games as a senior."Brandon will bring a combination of skill, hockey sense, and character to our organization," Sabres general manager Jason Botterill said. "We're confident that his four years at Penn State with coach Gadowsky have prepared him well for the next phase of his development."Biro attended Sabres development camp in 2018. The 22-year-old winger hails from Sherwood Park, Alberta.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A player on the Ottawa Senators tested positive for the coronavirus, the team announced Tuesday, marking the first confirmed case in the NHL."The player has had mild symptoms and is in isolation," a statement said. All members of the team have been asked to remain isolated and monitor their health.The Senators are notifying anyone who's known to have been in close contact with the player.The NHL suspended its season March 12 amid the coronavirus outbreak. Commissioner Gary Bettman remains hopeful that the league will be able to resume its season at some point and award the Stanley Cup.Ottawa played its final game before the pause against the Los Angeles Kings on March 11 at Staples Center. The Senators played in Anaheim one night prior, and their contest in San Jose against the Sharks on March 7 proceeded despite Santa Clara County public health officials recommending against large gatherings.The World Health Organization classified the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic on the same date as Ottawa's most recent game. The spread of the virus has resulted in the cancellations and suspensions of leagues and tournaments across major and amateur sports worldwide.Nearly every NHL team has formed a plan to compensate hourly workers who've lost shifts as a result of the hiatus.Four members of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets, including star forward Kevin Durant, were confirmed to have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus earlier Tuesday.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens prospect Cole Caufield will return for a second season with Wisconsin in 2020-21, the NHL team announced Tuesday.Caufield, 19, was selected 15th overall by the Canadiens in the 2019 draft. He recorded 19 goals and 36 points in 36 games during his freshman season at Wisconsin and led the Badgers in scoring."This additional year in the NCAA will benefit Cole and will allow him to continue developing his skills within the Badgers' environment," general manager Marc Bergevin said in a statement. "Cole is an important part of the Montreal Canadiens' future and we will continue to follow his development with interest."Two of Caufield's teammates from this past season have already decided to leave and ink pro contracts. K'Andre Miller signed with the New York Rangers and Alex Turcotte joined the Los Angeles Kings after the Badgers' season concluded March 8.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Welcome to Puck Pursuit, a weekly interview-style podcast hosted by John Matisz, theScore's national hockey writer.Subscribe to the show on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.Todd Radom, a longtime graphic designer in the sports industry, joins this week's show to discuss a variety of branding-related topics, including:

The Pittsburgh Penguins inked college free-agent defenseman Cam Lee to a two-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Tuesday."Cam is a good-skating, offensive-minded defenseman that fits the current style of play in today's NHL," general manager Jim Rutherford said. "This signing adds more young depth at defense for us. We're excited to have Cam as a member of the Penguins organization."Lee, 23, recently completed his senior season at Western Michigan University of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. The 6-foot blue-liner led all defensemen on the team with 21 points in 26 games.Through 137 games with Western Michigan, Lee recorded 18 goals and 85 points and reached the 20-point mark in three of his four seasons.He's the nephew of former NHL netminder Jean-Sebastien Giguere.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The coronavirus-induced NHL postponement won't mark the end of Joe Thornton's storied career."I have years to go," Thornton told TSN's Pierre LeBrun via text when asked about playing next season.The Sharks are last in the Western Conference in both points and points percentage, so if the season resumes without non-playoff teams, even some type of extended playoff format would likely exclude San Jose. Of course, there's still a chance the remainder of the regular season is played.Jumbo Joe registered seven goals and 31 points in 70 games this season. The 40-year-old was disappointed he wasn't moved to a contender at the deadline. "I wanted a shot, you know?" he said in February. "Believe it or not. I've been hunting this thing down for 22 years, so I wanted another shot at it."Thornton is 14th on the NHL's all-time points list with 1,509 - the second-most of any player without a Stanley Cup ring. He's scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With the NHL on an indefinite hiatus, many are wondering if the thousands of part-time workers at arenas throughout the league will be compensated.Teams and players are starting to share their plans. Here's a list of all the announcements.New Jersey DevilsThe owners of the New Jersey Devils said Friday they will pay hourly employees and Prudential Center staff for postponed games and events while the NHL season remains paused due to the coronavirus pandemic.“Employees are family. ... It's important to band together and lift each other up during these times," Devils chairman Josh Harris and vice-chairman David Blitzer told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.After the league postponed operations Thursday, the Devils called their team and arena staff members "the heartbeat of the organization" and said the club is committed to assisting them through the hiatus.Florida PanthersGoaltender Sergei Bobrovsky announced he's pledging $100K toward the salaries of the team's arena workers.Florida ownership has also pledged to cover any further outstanding costs beyond Bobrovsky's pledge, according to Sportsnet Elliotte Friedman.Detroit Red WingsIlitch Holdings, the company that owns the Detroit Red Wings and MLB's Tigers, set up a $1-million fund to cover one month's wages for part-time staff for games, concerts, and events they would've otherwise worked.Washington CapitalsTed Leonsis, the owner of the Washington Capitals and the NBA's Wizards, told Capital One Arena staff Friday morning that anyone scheduled to work an event - including Capitals and Wizards games - through March 31 will be paid, a source told The Athletic's Tarik El-Bashir.Anaheim DucksAnaheim Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli will keep paying full- and part-time employees who were scheduled to work at Honda Center through March 31, reports The Athletic's Eric Stephens.Winnipeg JetsTrue North Sports and Entertainment will pay part-time and casual employees for all scheduled NHL and AHL home games through March 31.San Jose SharksThe San Jose Sharks will pay part-time employees at SAP Center who were scheduled to work upcoming Sharks and AHL Barracuda games, according to the Mercury News' Curtis Pashelka.Tampa Bay LightningTampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik will compensate part-time employees who were slated to work Lightning and NCAA Tournament games and other events through the end of March, according to The Athletic's Joe Smith.Pittsburgh PenguinsThe Pittsburgh Penguins announced a plan to pay full- and part-time arena and service employees. The Penguins Foundation, the Mario Lemieux Foundation, and the players will combine to provide funding.Toronto Maple LeafsMaple Leaf Sports and Entertainment will also implement a plan to pay employees impacted by the recent events, according to TSN's Mark Masters."Anyone who is affected by this temporary halt in our operations will receive a financial payment from MLSE to bridge employees between their (employment insurance) benefits and 95% of their regular average earnings for four weeks," MLSE said in a statement, according to The Athletic's Blake Murphy.Additionally, Toronto's five professional sports teams have banded together to announce the initiative "Team Toronto," which will see management, players, and coaches contribute to a fund that supports hourly workers.Los Angeles KingsThe Los Angeles Kings are joining the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers and the Staples Center leadership to establish a fund that will financially support all hourly event staff employees the work stoppage is affecting.Calgary FlamesCalgary Sports and Entertainment announced a compensation program for part-time employees. Prior to the announcement, former employee and longtime season-ticket holder Raymond Lau began a GoFundMe to which Flames players, including captain Mark Giordano and Sean Monahan, have contributed.Carolina HurricanesThe Carolina Hurricanes will compensate PNC Arena and Hurricanes event staff for lost wages due to the postponement. The funding will be provided by team owner Tom Dundon as well as the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation. The players also made a donation to help supplement the incomes of event staff.Edmonton OilersThe Edmonton Oilers will be rolling out an assistance program to ensure their nearly 1,650 staff at Rogers Place will be protected, according to City News' Courtney Theriault.Arizona CoyotesThe Arizona Coyotes have partnered with Gila River Arena to compensate the rink's part-time and hourly employees who'd been scheduled to work the club's remaining eight home games, the team announced Monday.Buffalo SabresThe Buffalo Sabres announced that their game-day employees at both the organization's Buffalo and Rochester arenas will be paid any lost wages due to regular-season game cancelations, Pegula Sports and Entertainment announced Saturday."Even though we expect that the games will be played, we want to assure them they will be paid in the event that is not the case," the team's owners said in a statement.Boston BruinsThe Boston Bruins have yet to announce a plan to compensate workers at TD Garden, but Brad Marchand shared a GoFundMe on Twitter to help arena employees. The forward and his teammates have started to donate.Chicago BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks will pay game-day employees throughout the remainder of the originally planned season, the team announced Saturday.Dallas StarsDallas Stars president Brad Alberts announced that part-time employees previously scheduled to work Stars games through the end of March will be compensated, according to Dallas News' Matthew DeFranks.Nashville PredatorsNashville Predators COO Sean Henry says staff at Bridgestone Arena will be paid for any shifts already scheduled, and the organization will attempt to come up with a plan moving forward for other lost events, according to Newschannel 5's Steve Layman.Vancouver CanucksVancouver Canucks chairman Francesco Aquilini announced that Canucks Sports and Entertainment initiated a program that will help any part-time employee who requires support to avoid financial hardship during the disruption.In addition, the Canucks have offered to divert some of their staff who are no longer working to Metro Vancouver care homes facing staffing shortages.Philadelphia FlyersComcast Spectacor has vowed to pay "All game-day employees who were originally scheduled to work Flyers, 76ers, and Wings games that have now been postponed between March 14-31," according to the Courier-Post's Dave Isaac.Colorado AvalancheKroenke Sports and Entertainment will pay its part-time and hourly stadium employees at Pepsi Center for the next 30 days, Colorado Avalanche team president Josh Kroenke confirmed Sunday. In addition, the company will continue to work with local program We Don’t Waste to help provide food for those in need.Montreal CanadiensFor anyone ineligible for employment insurance, the Montreal Canadiens will pay 75% of the salary the employee would have received for the remaining regular-season home games of the NHL club (four) or the AHL's Laval Rocket (eight).For those eligible to receive EI, the organization will increase benefits by 40%, so employees will get 95% of the salary they would have received for the remaining games.Canadiens players will make a financial contribution of their own to offset the difference between the club's measures and the compensation that workers "would have otherwise received," the team announced Monday.Columbus Blue JacketsThe Columbus Blue Jackets will pay hourly game-day employees for all games they were scheduled to work that don't take place through the end of the regular season.New York IslandersNew York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said that although the Islanders do not employ game-day workers at either Barclays Center or Nassau Coliseum because the team doesn't own either building, he's aware of a plan to compensate those workers in the event that games are lost, according to The Athletic's Arthur Staple.St. Louis BluesSt. Louis Blues ownership has created the Blues Employee Assistance Fund to lessen the financial hardship being experienced by game-night workers at Enterprise Center, the team announced Monday. The fund will provide support to several hundred employees who report directly to the Blues organization and are paid on game nights.Blues ownership, all Blues players, and local donors - led by a $100,000 donation from season-ticket holder Andy Frisella - worked together late last week and over the weekend to establish the fund."This is a great idea and the boys are really happy to play a part to help everyone who makes things run smoothly for us and the fans on game nights," St. Louis defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. "We're also really proud to partner with Blues ownership and the front office, and really appreciate the contribution they're making to help the cause. We're a tight organization throughout, and it shows with the creation of this fund."Ottawa SenatorsOn Monday, the Ottawa Senators committed to developing a program based on the individual needs of their staff, according to The Athletic's Hailey Salvian. The program will help any part-time employees who require support to avoid financial hardship during work the stoppage.One day later, the club revealed that owner Eugene Melnyk personally pledged to pay the workers the income they would have received if not for the shutdown.New York RangersMadison Square Garden sent a memo that stated its event-driven employees will be paid through the next pay period, ending March 22, according to SNY's Ian Begley.MSG said in the memo that it's working to develop longer-term plans to support its entire work force. It is also working to establish a relief fund to help those administrative and event-driven employees "facing a range of personal hardships" due to the coronavirus.Minnesota WildThe Minnesota Wild announced measures to support part-time employees of the team as well as the community during the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the team announced Tuesday. The Wild will pay its part-time employees who were scheduled to work the final six regular-season home games.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Eugene Melnyk says he's going to pitch in and help workers at Canadian Tire Centre affected by the postponement of the NHL season.The Ottawa Senators owner personally pledged to provide part-time and hourly staff members with the income they would've received during the league's hiatus stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, the club announced Tuesday.As a result, the part-time arena staff will get income for shifts scheduled through April 4, which would have been the end of the regular season.Melnyk also committed to paying part-time arena workers of the AHL's Belleville Senators - a team he also owns - through April 11, which would have been the end of the AHL regular season and the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.Tuesday's commitment from the owner came one day after the NHL club said in general terms that it would develop a program to support part-time employees during the shutdown.The vast majority of NHL teams had already unveiled specific plans intended to assist arena staff in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Gritty wants fans to know that if they're feeling empty inside without hockey, they're not alone.On Tuesday, the most popular mascot in hockey penned a heartfelt letter and shared it on Twitter."My Dear Gritizens, we have no hockey. But we have each other," Gritty wrote. "Now is when I would typically embrace you with my fur, but instead I will envelope you with my words (social distancing). How are you? I hope everyone is staying safe ... but enough about you, let's talk about me."I know a lot of you have been asking if I'm okay and wondering what I've been up to. The most adorable creatures seem to be immune (dogs, small children, and possibly ME?) Regardless, I'm taking this very seriously. My paws are (very) clean. My home is completely wrapped in toilet paper, the virus isn't getting in."I'm health in its purest form. My body temp is at the classic Gritty average of -55.6 degrees Celsius, I've never felt slimmer, but I still can't seem to shake this swimmer's ear (ongoing issue). You know what they say, when the virus goes low, we go high."Well, the DVD box at the toilet paper store was out of options, so I'm now on my ninth watch of 'Osmosis Jones' (2001 - Fantasy/Action). I also started watching 'Lost.' I couldn't find Seasons 1 or 2, so I started on Season 3 and I can't help but feel like I missed something important."I'm lonely, so I'm sure you are too," Gritty added. "We can be lonely together. Maybe being together in loneliness will make us ... not lonely? I recognize that there's a lot going on, and I rightfully assume my duty to be the orange light of hope in this COVID-19-covered world. After all, laughter is the best medicine. Next to medicine."Peace. Love. Sanitizer. Waves. (Sincerely,) Gritty."Going without NHL games for the foreseeable future isn't going to be easy, but if anyone - or rather, any thing - can cheer up hockey fans during the hiatus, it's Gritty.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Less than a full day after opting for a brief postponement of the Gagarin Cup playoffs, the KHL is delaying them even further.In an effort to combat the spread of the coronavirus, the league suspended its postseason until April 10 on Tuesday.The move follows Monday's decision to delay it for one week in order to reschedule and tweak the format for the six remaining clubs after two teams withdrew amid concerns over the outbreak.Jokerit Helsinki pulled out Saturday, citing Finnish government guidelines, and Kazakhstan-based squad Barys Nur-Sultan followed suit two days later.The KHL said Tuesday's decision was made in accordance with the recommendations of Russia's Ministry of Sport and other regional authorities.On Monday, the Russian government banned the entry of foreign nationals and stateless people from March 18 until May 1.Last Tuesday, the city of Moscow prohibited gatherings of 5,000 people or more until April 10. In the wake of that order, the KHL clubs based in Russia's capital began playing games without fans present.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Editor's note: This piece was originally published in April 2019.As spring bloomed in Seattle 100 years ago, Frank Foyston, the leading scorer on a team one game away from winning the Stanley Cup, received a letter from an inmate at a nearby U.S. military prison."Tell 'Happy' to board up the old tent, everybody shoot hard, and the Mets will cop the old championship," the note read.Foyston's correspondent was a 28-year-old Canadian named Bernie Morris who'd been clinging for weeks to the hope that he, too, would get the chance to play in hockey's title series. Two years earlier, Morris had starred at center for the Seattle Metropolitans in the Stanley Cup Final. He scored 14 goals in four games as his squad rolled by the mighty Montreal Canadiens and became the first American franchise to win the trophy in the 25 years it had been awarded.Had Morris been in the Metropolitans' lineup in March 1919, when they faced the Canadiens in a slightly belated rematch, his prediction that Seattle would soon fete another champion might have been regarded as obvious. Three of his Mets teammates were future Hall of Famers, including Foyston and goaltender Hap (or "Happy") Holmes. And by virtue of vying for the Cup in an odd-numbered year, Seattle got to host the whole best-of-five series, a quirk of the sport's scheduling patterns at the time.Seattle forward Frank Foyston. Courtesy of Barbara DanielsBut as the Canadiens journeyed across the continent by railcar, intent on securing redemption after their trouncing in 1917, Morris found himself stuck in Camp Lewis - a U.S. Army base where newly mobilized soldiers had been trained to fight in World War I, and where he now sat confined on a charge of dodging the draft."Morris … writes that he is with the team in spirit if not in person," the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper reported at the time, summarizing the rest of his message to Foyston.More than any other playoff held so long ago, people remember the 1919 Stanley Cup Final because of the calamitous circumstances that brought it to an early end. A historically deadly influenza pandemic thwarted the proceedings before a champion could be crowned; the deciding game was canceled when five Montreal players were bedridden with the flu. One of them, rugged defenseman Joe Hall, died from the effects of the illness at the age of 37. "SERIES NOT COMPLETED" was eventually carved into the Cup.But fewer people remember the extraordinary chain of events that led to the final's cancellation. It might be the wildest hockey series ever staged, not least because one of its principal characters spent it desperately, and unsuccessfully, trying to avoid being shipped to Alcatraz.The 1918-19 Seattle Metropolitans. Courtesy of Barbara DanielsFrank Patrick, the president of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, had never witnessed a stranger combination of scenes. On April 1, 1919, the day the last game was called off, he said the final had been "the most peculiar series in the history of the sport."––––––––––In the first week of March 1919, when U.S. military officials apprehended Morris in Seattle, they let him play one game before they took him into custody: the last matchup of the Metropolitans' PCHA regular season. After Seattle beat the visiting Victoria Aristocrats 3-1, he was whisked away to plead his case.Morris, a Manitoba native who lived in Seattle during the three-month PCHA season and worked at a remote site in the British Columbia woods for most of the year, had won an exemption from the U.S. draft - until, that is, his status changed and he was conscripted for service Nov. 5, 1918, six days before the end of the war.Living so far off the grid at the time he was drafted, Morris contended that he'd never been notified of his call to duty. He and Seattle coach Pete Muldoon figured it wouldn't take long for the misunderstanding to be clarified. The shorthanded Metropolitans didn't stumble in the meantime: A week after his arrest, they outscored the Vancouver Millionaires 7-5 in a two-leg playoff to win the PCHA title.Seattle's reward was a best-of-five showdown for the Stanley Cup with the Canadiens, who'd bested the Ottawa Senators to clinch the NHL championship. The 1918-19 season, the NHL's second in existence, had been rocky. The nascent league's only other team, the Toronto Arenas, had folded suddenly in February with two games left on the schedule. A couple of months before the season began, Ottawa player Hamby Shore had succumbed to pneumonia brought on by the influenza virus.Montreal goalie Georges Vezina. Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesThe Canadiens hoped to finish the year on a high note. To accomplish that feat on the road against steep odds, they would rely on their own stars. Legendary player-coach Newsy Lalonde had fileted Ottawa for 11 goals in five games in the NHL final. Didier Pitre was a potent scorer who went on to make the Hall of Fame. In goal was beloved veteran Georges Vezina, whose netminding prowess later inspired the namesake award after his death at 39 from tuberculosis. All three players were party to Seattle's resounding Cup victory in 1917."The crack Eastern team felt keenly their beating at the hands of the Seattle men several seasons ago," Post-Intelligencer reporter Royal Brougham wrote in a series preview on March 16, 1919, "and a few days ago (Canadiens manager George Kennedy) sent word ahead that he hoped Seattle would win the playoff, as his players were praying for another crack at the Mets."Game 1, held at Seattle Ice Arena on March 19, proved a rude reawakening: The Metropolitans dusted Montreal 7-0 on the strength of a Foyston hat trick. Kennedy had praised the Mets' speed on the eve of the series, and Seattle's forwards, true to form, had broken through for umpteen clear shots on Vezina. The Canadiens seemed flummoxed by the PCHA rules under which the game was played, namely the fact each team iced a sixth skater - a rover - and was permitted to pass the puck forward in the neutral zone.Game 1GoalsScorersSeattle7Frank Foyston (3); Muzz Murray (2); Jack Walker; Ran McDonaldMontreal0A few days later, Kennedy offered two novel excuses for his team's struggles: they were bothered by Seattle's "warm climate," with temperatures exceeding 50 F (10 C) during the day, and they weren't accustomed to walking on "cement sidewalks" in late March, as opposed to Montreal's soft, snow-covered walkways.Nevertheless, the Canadiens evened the series with a 4-2 win played under NHL rules. Lalonde netted the first four goals of Game 2, upping his total for the postseason to 15, and Montreal withstood a stirring sequence midway through the third period in which Seattle scored twice within eight seconds.Game 2GoalsScorersMontreal4Newsy Lalonde (4)Seattle2Bobby Rowe; Frank FoystonAs Kennedy bemoaned the off-ice conditions, the Mets learned after Game 2 that Morris would be detained at Camp Lewis for several more weeks, ruling him out of the series. Their disappointment was tempered when Foyston, with Game 3 operating under PCHA rules, recorded a first-period hat trick and later beat Vezina for a fourth goal in a 7-2 Seattle victory. (Postgame, the Canadiens got dismal news of a different kind: an amphitheater where Kennedy promoted wrestling matches had burned to the ground in Montreal.)Game 3GoalsScorersSeattle7Frank Foyston (4); Cully Wilson; Muzz Murray; Roy RickeyMontreal2Odie Cleghorn; Louis BerlinguetteThe absence of Morris, whose letter was delivered to Foyston after Game 3, meant Muldoon had only seven skaters at his disposal. The Mets never confronted a greater test of their stamina and willpower than Game 4 - "the hardest-played game in hockey history," Patrick said after the final whistle.After combining for 22 goals through the first three games, neither team scored on the night of March 26. The brilliance of Vezina and Holmes forced the game to overtime. The run of play was even, and the pace unrelenting. Hall high-sticked Seattle forward Jack Walker for three stitches above his eye. Seattle thought it had scored at one point in regulation time, but the period had ended a second earlier. Mets enforcer Cully Wilson came within a hair of a game-winner early in OT; Lalonde almost ended matters for Montreal moments later."What a difference your leading scorer would have made in a tie game," Kevin Ticen, the author of a new book about the Metropolitans, told theScore in reference to Morris.Game 4GoalsScorersSeattle0Montreal0The contest ended without resolution after 80 minutes, at which point several exhausted players promptly keeled to the ice. Wilson had nearly fainted with a few minutes left on the clock. The following day, Seattle commissioned an osteopath to care for a severe strain in Foyston's thigh. Several of his teammates stayed in bed until well into the afternoon.As the weary recuperated, officials decreed that Game 5 would be played under NHL rules, in effect serving as a replay of Game 4 - and that no Stanley Cup game would ever finish in a tie again.The condition of Foyston's leg had improved by March 29, and when Seattle took a 3-0 lead into the second intermission of Game 5, it appeared his team's fleetness of foot would nullify any rules advantage Montreal should have enjoyed. But in the third period the Mets' fitness failed them, and the Canadiens, skating furiously, rallied to make it 3-3 on an Odie Cleghorn goal and two remarkable solo efforts from Lalonde.Fifteen minutes into overtime, as Foyston lay flat on the Seattle bench after aggravating his thigh, one of Walker's skates broke and Wilson, utterly drained, chose that moment to beckon for a substitute. Before he could be replaced, one of Montreal's reserve forwards, Jack McDonald, gained possession of the puck, circumnavigated the Seattle defense, and scored the goal that tied the series.Game 5GoalsScorersMontreal4Newsy Lalonde (2); Odie Cleghorn; Jack McDonaldSeattle3Jack Walker (2); Frank FoystonKennedy, who'd sent McDonald onto the ice amid the confusion in the Mets' ranks, was all smiles as he spoke to reporters. His team had erased its three-goal deficit without Hall, who'd become sluggish and left for the dressing room in the second period. Now one game remained to settle the title."I always claimed I had a game team, and the boys certainly proved it tonight," Kennedy said. "I expect them to win the championship now."––––––––––Kennedy and his club never got the chance. By the end of Game 5, the misery the series inflicted on all of its participants was plainly evident. Doctors determined that Foyston had torn a tendon. Seattle blue-liner Roy Rickey was 10 pounds lighter after playing 155 consecutive minutes over two overtime-prolonged games. His defense partner, Bobby Rowe, could barely stand on his bum ankle, the result of a hack from Hall several nights earlier.The Canadiens' plight was cause for greater concern. Hall and McDonald awoke with high fevers the morning after Game 5. Kennedy, Lalonde, defenseman Billy Coutu, and left winger Louis Berlinguette were all confined to bed at Seattle's Georgian Hotel with illnesses of their own. By April 1, the day of Game 6, Hall and McDonald had to be rushed to hospital.Even in his sickly state, Kennedy was set on icing a team for the conclusive game. He suggested he could wrangle reinforcements from the Victoria Aristocrats, Seattle's lowly PCHA opponent. Muldoon rejected the offer on the Mets' behalf, and Patrick insisted that he wouldn't compel Montreal to forfeit the Cup.The circumstances, Patrick said, dictated that Game 6 couldn't be played that night or anytime soon. At noon on April 1, seven hours before puck drop, arena staff started removing the ice surface to make way for a summer roller rink, and by 2:30 p.m., officials confirmed what was already clear: The series was over.Seattle goalie Hap Holmes. Courtesy of David Eskenazi"Not in the history of the Stanley Cup series has the world’s hockey championship been so beset with hard luck as this one has," read a dispatch in the Montreal Gazette and other newspapers on April 2, 1919."The great overtime games of the series have taxed the vitality of the players to such an extent that they are in poor condition indeed to fight off such a disease as influenza."The observation was tragically prophetic. From 1918-20, the influenza strain that felled the Montrealers infected one-third of the global population and killed an estimated 50 million to 100 million people. Hockey historian Eric Zweig, whose children's novel "Fever Season" is based on the 1919 Cup final, said the pandemic could strike at terrifying speed: "You could be healthy when you went to bed, wake up in the morning feeling sick, be really sick by lunchtime, and be dead by dinnertime."Reports of Hall's condition grew increasingly dire. On April 2, his fever was said to have reached 103 F (39.4 C). The next day, he contracted pneumonia. By April 4, each ailing Canadiens player was feeling better, except for him. He died at 2:30 p.m. on April 5.Newspaper obituaries recounted his life story to mournful readers. Hall was born in England in 1881 and grew up in Brandon, Manitoba. He won Stanley Cups with the Quebec Bulldogs in 1912 and 1913 and joined the Canadiens in 1917. "Hall was a star of the first magnitude when many of the young players on his team were infants," the Post-Intelligencer wrote. The Toronto World called his two-decade career "long and checkered," but noted that despite his trademark aggression, he made friends wherever he played."I cannot tell you how deeply grieved I am to hear of Hall's death," said Frank Patrick's brother, Lester, whose long playing career ran parallel to Hall's. "Joe had a heart as big as a house and was a prince of good fellows."Hall was buried in Vancouver on April 8 in the presence of his wife, Mary, and their three children. Lalonde and Berlinguette served as pallbearers, as did Lester Patrick. Lalonde departed on the long ride back to Montreal a few days later - but only after telling reporters that, had the last game of the final been played, the return to PCHA rules would have guaranteed Seattle the Cup.Seattle enforcer Cully Wilson. Courtesy of Barbara DanielsThe Metropolitans dispersed for the offseason. Wilson had accepted a job at Seattle's shipyards as soon as the series ended, while Walker undertook the same work back home in Ontario. Foyston, still hobbling on his injured leg, got married on the day after Hall's funeral with Holmes serving as best man. That summer, the Post-Intelligencer reported, the forward and the netminder planned to run a wheat ranch together.A week after Hall's death, army officials at Camp Lewis decided where Bernie Morris would spend the offseason: the military prison on Alcatraz Island. Seattle's erstwhile star scorer was sentenced to two years of hard labor for desertion, a verdict Frank Patrick vowed he would help contest, if need be, all the way to the desk of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson.In the end, Morris was imprisoned for a year before he was exonerated and released - just in time to suit up on the road against NHL champion Ottawa in the 1920 Stanley Cup Final. Rendered rusty by his lockup, Morris only contributed two assists all series, but Foyston scored six goals as the Mets won two of the first four games and pushed the Senators to a winner-take-all matchup for the title.Seattle lost that game 6-1. Vancouver defeated the Mets in three of the next four PCHA finals, and the franchise folded in 1924, ensuring they'd never play for the Cup again.Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL entered a roster freeze at 5 p.m. ET Monday, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.Teams have been informed that the four-recall rule regularly implemented after the trade deadline will continue to apply if the season resumes, Johnston added.The AHL, meanwhile, announced Monday it has advised its teams that the indefinite suspension of games will not be lifted before May. All AHL players are being recommended to return to their home facilities.Some NHL clubs have continued to make roster moves during the pause; the Anaheim Ducks waived forward Kiefer Sherwood on Sunday. Sherwood cleared waivers Monday.News of the roster freeze follows the league's Monday announcement that play is unlikely to resume in the coming weeks. It could be about 45 days until the league ramps up hockey activities for teams. The NHL also announced that players can now leave their respective clubs' cities to return home if they wish, and must self-quarantine until at least March 27.Some players have started to make plans to return to their home countries. The Vancouver Canucks' Jacob Markstrom and Elias Pettersson, for example, are expected to return to Sweden, according to Postmedia's Ben Kuzma.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The KHL will pause its Gagarin Cup playoffs for one week in order to create a new format and schedule for its six remaining teams after two clubs withdrew from the postseason, the league announced Monday.Finland's Jokerit Helsinki and Kazakhstan's Barys Nur-Saltan bowed out after the opening round of the playoffs due to the coronavirus outbreak and travel restrictions being implemented worldwide, according to The Hockey News' Steven Ellis.The six remaining teams - CSKA, Ak Bars, SKA, Dynamo Moscow, Sibir, and Salavat Yulaev - are all based in Russia.The KHL announced Saturday it is closely monitoring the pandemic and defended its decision to continue its operations. The world's second-largest hockey league was scheduled to begin the second round of its playoffs Tuesday.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former Anaheim Ducks and Calgary Flames netminder Jonas Hiller announced his retirement Monday.Hiller, 38, hasn't played in the NHL since the 2015-16 campaign, but he spent the last four seasons with Biel HC in the Swiss league.The southpaw signed with the Ducks as an undrafted free agent in 2007 and played in 328 games over seven seasons with Anaheim, including a league-high 73 contests in 2011-12. He ranks third in Ducks franchise history in wins (162), goals-against average (2.51), save percentage (.916), and shutouts (21).Hiller spent two seasons with the Flames before heading overseas, joining them as an unrestricted free agent ahead of the 2014-15 campaign. He enjoyed a successful first season in Calgary, going 26-19-4 with a 2.36 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage during the regular season to lead the team to a surprise playoff berth and a first-round series win over the Vancouver Canucks. The 2015-16 campaign was not nearly as friendly to him, however, as he managed a 3.51 goals-against average and .879 save percentage in 26 games.Hiller shined for Switzerland in numerous international appearances, but perhaps none more memorable than at the 2014 Olympics, when he posted a 0.67 goals-against average and .971 save percentage in three games. Unfortunately, Switzerland scored just three goals across four tournament contests.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Anaheim Ducks forward Kiefer Sherwood went unclaimed on the wire, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.The Ducks waived Sherwood on Sunday, initiating the first transaction since the NHL suspended its season due to the coronavirus on Thursday.Now that the 24-year-old has cleared, Anaheim can pay him at a bi-weekly rate based off his $70,000 AHL salary, rather than a daily calculation using the $925,000 he was earning in the NHL, according to The Athletic's Eric Stephens.Sherwood collected one assist in 10 games with the Ducks in 2019-20 before the league paused the season. Anaheim called him up after trading Ondrej Kase to the Boston Bruins in late February.The New York Rangers have since pulled off the second move following the shutdown, signing defenseman K'Andre Miller to an entry-level contract Monday.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers inked defenseman K'Andre Miller to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Monday.New York drafted the 20-year-old with the 22nd pick in 2018.The 6-foot-4 blue-liner tallied seven goals and 18 points through 36 games during his sophomore season at the University of Wisconsin.Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Miller represented the United States at the world juniors in 2019 and 2020, capturing a silver medal at the former event.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL has changed its policy regarding player travel while the season remains paused due to the coronavirus.Players are now allowed to return home to locations outside of their club's home city, including outside of North America if flights are available, the league announced Monday. However, they need to self-quarantine through March 27, unless a longer period is necessary due to local travel mandates.After the self-quarantine period, the NHL will consider allowing clubs to open their facilities to players in small groups for training and care "on the same basis as in the offseason."On Sunday night, the CDC advised against gatherings of 50-plus people for the next eight weeks. The NHL said Monday that it will aim to provide guidance on the possibility of opening training camps about 45 days into that timetable.Monday's decision differs from the league's original stance, announced three days prior. In a memo sent to players Friday, the NHL reportedly instructed them to self-quarantine in their club cities while avoiding travel.The move mirrors a similar shift in the NBA. That league reportedly sent a memo to its players Sunday detailing travel policies allowing them to go outside their teams' home markets after consulting with their organization.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The latest sports news as the coronavirus pandemic disrupts the globe. Pull down the page to refresh.For more details on European soccer-related coronavirus updates, tap here.What you need to know

True North Sports and Entertainment will compensate part-time and casual workers who lost shifts with the NHL suspended as a result of the coronavirus."As a follow up to yesterday's communication, we wish to share with you today, that regardless of whether we resume play in either the NHL or AHL, True North casual and part-time employees will be paid in full for remaining Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose home games through the end of March 31 - as though the games occurred," the company said in a statement, according to The Athletic's Murat Ates.The company has reversed course after initially stating it would not support its workers who lost shifts as a result of the hiatus."They work when we work," Jets chairman Mark Chipman said Thursday, according to the Winnipeg Sun's Paul Friesen. "So, regrettably, to the extent that we're not putting on shows and games, those people obviously would not have a call to work."Calgary Sports and Entertainment also announced a compensation program on Sunday for part-time workers after reportedly saying they would not pay employees.Several other teams, athletes, coaches, and executives around the NHL have pledged to support workers who have lost shifts due to the stoppage in play.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Sports and Entertainment have announced an income bridge support program for part-time employees who lost shifts with the NHL suspended due to growing concerns over the coronavirus."This program will provide part time employees who are affected by this temporary halt in our operations and are applying for and are eligible to receive Employment Insurance (EI) benefits to receive a top up payment from CSEC, which will provide an overall benefit of up to 95% of your regular average insurable earnings (which is the maximum allowable by Service Canada), to the conclusion of the Flames regular season," the company said in a statement Sunday."If you are not eligible to receive EI benefits due to not working sufficient hours you will receive the equivalent CSEC top up portion," the company added.Last week, CSEC reportedly released a statement saying that employees would be paid for their March 12 shifts because the notice of cancelation was less than 24 hours prior to the cancelation. The company added that no payments will be made for shifts canceled with more than 24 hours notice.Raymond Lau, a former hourly employee and a longtime season-ticket holder, started a GoFundMe page on Saturday after learning that CSEC would not be compensating workers who lost shifts. In response, several Flames players pitched in on the fundraiser.Lau said if the company ends up deciding to pay its workers, the money raised will be donated to the Flames Foundation, to a local charity, or it will be used in a way that still benefits the hourly and event staff. The campaign began with a target goal of $10,000 and over $62,000 has been raised as of Sunday.Several other teams and players around the league have made efforts to compensate part-time workers who have been impacted by the hiatus.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A woman recently came to Kristian Hufsky's door speaking little English.Normally, that's OK. Hufsky, a 20-year-old Canadian goalie playing professional hockey in northern Germany, often gets by understanding only parts of what he's told. This time, however, he felt slightly self-conscious.The woman, a health official laying out quarantine guidelines to Hufsky amid the coronavirus pandemic, had issued him a surreal warning: Leaving his apartment in the near future could result in a substantial fine or even jail time."That scared me a little bit," Hufsky said over the phone Saturday, his sixth straight day in isolation.

The NHL season remains on pause, but that isn't stopping teams from making moves.The Anaheim Ducks placed forward Kiefer Sherwood on waivers Sunday, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.Sherwood, a 24-year-old right-winger, collected a lone assist across 10 games with the Ducks in 2019-20 before the league postponed its campaign as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.Anaheim called him up Feb. 23 after he racked up 16 goals in 37 games for the club's AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls.Sherwood collected six goals and 12 points in 50 contests for the Ducks in 2018-19.Anaheim signed him to a two-year, entry-level contract out of Miami (Ohio) in March 2018.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The second-biggest professional hockey league in the world defended its decision to continue operating after one of its best teams withdrew from the playoffs amid concerns over the coronavirus pandemic."KHL, as a major international sports league, is acutely aware of its responsibility to fans, teams, and staff, and is closely monitoring the situation as it develops and will strictly comply with instructions from state authorities in all participating countries of the championship when it comes to protecting public health," the league said in a statement Saturday night."The (COVID-19) pandemic is a rapidly evolving situation, and in this regard, KHL is in consultation with clubs and all relevant authorities to diligently manage the impact of this matter."Finland-based team Jokerit Helsinki pulled out of the KHL's Gagarin Cup playoffs Saturday, citing the country's guidelines that are intended to combat the outbreak. The club was scheduled to play SKA St. Petersburg in the second round beginning Tuesday.Last week, Moscow implemented a ban on gatherings of 5,000 or more people, but KHL teams based in the city have continued playing. Dynamo Moscow defeated Spartak Moscow in their first-round series, and Dynamo is now set to face CSKA - a team that also hails from Russia's capital - in Round 2.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A Calgary Flames fan is raising money for hourly and event staff at the Scotiabank Saddledome whom the team's ownership group won't be compensating during the hiatus resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.Raymond Lau, a longtime season-ticket holder and former hourly employee at the arena, started a GoFundMe on Saturday night after learning that Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation was choosing not to pay relevant workers for the lost shifts.Several Flames players, including captain Mark Giordano, Sean Monahan, Milan Lucic, Sam Bennett, and Zac Rinaldo have donated to the effort, as have some of the players' partners, including Lauren Giordano and Amber Brodie.The campaign began with a goal of $10,000 but raised more than $38,000 overnight.All of the proceeds will go toward the arena employees affected by the shutdown. Lau said if CSEC reverses course and decides to pay them, the money will be donated to the Flames Foundation, to a local charity, or it will be used in a way that still benefits the hourly and event staff.The Flames ownership group sent an email to the workers explaining that unless otherwise notified, all scheduled shifts were canceled, and any shifts from March 13 onward must be approved by a supervisor.Many NHL owners and several players have said they will help out their arena workers to account for postponed or canceled shifts.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The ECHL will cancel the remainder of its season and playoffs as a precautionary measure to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus, the league announced Saturday."The decision by the ECHL to cancel the remainder of the 2019-20 season does not come lightly, as this is an emotional time for our players, coaches, member teams, fans, and staff," commissioner Ryan Crelin said. "As each passing day raises additional concerns for the safety of those in the ECHL community and as we take precautionary measures in conjunction with our local authorities across the continent to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, it has become apparent that this is the prudent decision."Salaries of players will be paid through Monday, and players will have insurance through June 30, according to The Athletic's Sara Civian.The ECHL, which is a tier below the AHL, has teams that are affiliated to 25 different NHL clubs.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The KHL hasn't suspended play due to the coronavirus pandemic, but one of its best teams is taking matters into its own hands.Jokerit Helsinki pulled out of the ongoing Gagarin Cup playoffs, the club announced Saturday, citing Finnish government guidelines put in place to help stop the spread of the virus.The club was on the verge of facing SKA St. Petersburg in the second round of the postseason beginning Tuesday, but decided not to travel there and withdrew from the playoffs after "long talks held between club leadership, doctors and players.""These are exceptional times and they call for exceptional measures," Jokerit chairman and hockey legend Jari Kurri said. "The well-being and health of the people and our society is paramount and Jokerit wants to shoulder its responsibility in the matter."Kurri added that it was a "very difficult but necessary decision."The KHL is one of the few remaining sports leagues that continues to play amid the outbreak. The league is primarily based in Russia, where the capital city of Moscow has banned gatherings of at least 5,000 people. However, both CSKA and Dynamo Moscow have played on, advancing to a second-round matchup against each other.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL sent a memo to its players Friday outlining a rough plan for the coming days amid the postponed season, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.Players will continue to receive their paychecks as scheduled. Three pay periods remained when the pause was announced.Payments weren't guaranteed for players, as the CBA gives NHL owners the ability to negotiate different salary levels for players in the event that the league suspends its operations due to "a state of war or other cause beyond the control of the league or of the club," according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.Players were also asked to self-quarantine at home in their club's city and avoid travel. They'll be permitted to see family outside of their respective cities but must alert their team's general manager, per TSN's Darren Dreger.The memo stressed that players adhere to the self-quarantine period, which will likely last approximately a week, according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. This would allow the NHL "to be in the best position possible to assess (the) next steps regarding the potential resumption of play."Players are encouraged to work out at home and not organize informal skates at public arenas, according to Seravalli. Those rehabbing from injuries can continue to use team facilities if necessary but are recommended to use alternative methods such as FaceTime or webinars with training staff.After the quarantine period is complete, the league hopes to first re-open the team's facilities for players to work on conditioning before introducing a training camp period to get back to game speed.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames' ownership group will not be compensating hourly and event staff for shifts canceled due to the coronavirus.Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation, the entity that owns the Flames, the WHL's Hitmen, the National Lacrosse League's Roughnecks, and the CFL's Stampeders, informed relevant workers they won't be paid for work lost to the shutdown, according to an email obtained by the Calgary Herald's Sammy Hudes.The Flames, Hitmen, and Roughnecks all play their home games at Calgary's Scotiabank Saddledome."Unless notified by your supervisor, all scheduled shifts are canceled," the email reads, according to Hudes. "CSEC will pay for your March 12, 2020, shift if you were scheduled to work as the notice of cancellation was less than the 24 hours required by Alberta employment standards. Any shifts on March 13, 2020, and beyond must be pre-approved by your supervisor."CSEC added that no payments will be made for shifts canceled with more than 24 hours' notice.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced earlier this week that the federal government will waive the standard one-week waiting period for employment insurance amid the outbreak. CSEC workers are eligible to apply, but the organization stated that "employees must have sufficient insurable hours to qualify for EI benefits."The city of Calgary is footing $290 million of the $565 million going toward CSEC's new arena project.Another Canadian NHL club, the Winnipeg Jets, has also confirmed it won't be paying roughly 1,200 hourly and event staff during the hiatus. "They work when we work," True North Sports and Entertainment chairman Mark Chipman said Thursday.The New Jersey Devils were among multiple NHL teams that committed Friday to paying hourly and event staff for games and events that are postponed or canceled amid the pandemic.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is pledging $100,000 toward the salaries of the team's arena workers who are being displaced during the pause in the NHL's schedule, according to NHL.com's Alain Poupart.Bobrovsky's teammates are committed to matching the donation, and Panthers ownership will "contribute to help part-time employees compensate for lost wages due to canceled or postponed events at BB&T Center," Poupart writes.Several other NHL clubs have also announced an intention to compensate arena staff during postponed games.The league officially suspended play Thursday due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, following the NBA's lead. Many other professional sports leagues and events worldwide have also been canceled or postponed.Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love donated $100,000 through his foundation on Wednesday to support local staff affected by the NBA's suspended season.Bobrovsky, 31, joined the Panthers this offseason after signing a seven-year contract in July.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The funeral for late Montreal Canadiens legend Henri Richard will be a private event, Richard's family announced by way of the club Friday, in response to the Quebec government's measures to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.Only immediate family members can attend the event. Media representatives and members of the general public will not be admitted.Those who wish to offer condolences or send flowers can do so through Richard's online obituary.Richard, the younger brother of fellow Canadiens legend Maurice "Rocket" Richard, died last Friday at the age of 84. The "Pocket Rocket" won the Stanley Cup 11 times - a record for a player - and served as Montreal's captain for four seasons in the 1970s.He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL wants its players to avoid straying from the cities where their teams play and refrain from taking the ice for the time being with the season paused due to the coronavirus."The general expectation is that players will remain in the clubs' home cities absent unusual circumstances," The league's deputy commissioner, Bill Daly, wrote to TSN's Ryan Rishaug on Friday. "Obviously, where a player is separated from his family because his club-city residence is only temporary at this point, those players should be permitted to go home to their families in this initial phase of the pause period."Daly added the NHL is recommending against informal skates at this time and that players will be covered by the protections afforded to them in their contracts once training for the resumption of play begins."We envision there coming a time (when) we transition direction from 'stay at home' to opening club facilities to players to work out and to skate on a voluntary basis in small groups - similar to what we generally see prior to the beginning of team training camps," Daly wrote, adding that he can't say when such a period would begin but that the league will monitor developments over the next week or so.Daly said there will be no mandatory testing of players for the virus, but testing will be conducted "as appropriate" if a player exhibits symptoms or becomes sick.He also addressed the schedule and how it could impact players' contracts."Any decision we make on (the) schedule will be done in conjunction with the NHLPA, and the parties can agree to extend the terms of existing contracts by whatever period is necessary to accommodate the resumption of play (based on) determinations that are ultimately made," he wrote.The league and the players' association are developing rules for players during this time and should have a working agreement by the end of Friday, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.The NHL officially paused its 2019-20 campaign Thursday, following the lead of the NBA. Many other leagues have since canceled or postponed their respective seasons.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.What is sports betting without sports?It's a question the sports betting community has grappled with since Wednesday night, when the NBA suspended its season indefinitely after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.Since then, the NCAA canceled its men's and women's college basketball tournaments, the NHL and MLB suspended play, and other leagues across the world took precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus. By the time you're done reading this, another league will have likely followed suit.Among the hundreds of unanswered questions resulting from this global pandemic, the sports betting industry faces a peculiar one: If there are no sports, what are bettors and bookmakers supposed to do?"It's never happened," said Robert Walker, sportsbook director for USBookmaking. "We're in such uncharted territory."Many books, including theScore Bet in New Jersey, have suspended all bets on leagues such as the NBA, NHL, and MLB until further confirmation on when play may resume. In the case of a canceled postseason - such as the NCAA Tournament - most bettors can expect a refund for their futures bets. That includes win totals and title tickets, even if those teams had already been eliminated from contention.But such refunds depend entirely on the house rules of each book, which may not be equipped for this type of situation. In many cases, bet shops are simply trying to take cues from the leagues in question - which, in a time of ever-changing information, can prove tricky."When you’re creating house rules, you try to anticipate different scenarios," said Jay Rood, Bet.Works' chief risk officer and theScore Bet's head trader. "But this is a hard scenario to anticipate."Sportsbooks also have to prepare for the immediate losses from not booking major events on the betting calendar. Last year, Nevada generated $495 million from bets on basketball during March alone, which included $32.5 million in winnings. That's to say nothing of the lost revenue from food and beverages when bettors congregate for key sporting events, such as March Madness or pro leagues' playoffs.To be clear, there are worse ramifications from the coronavirus outbreak than canceled bets, even within sports - the risk posed to players, team employees, and their families takes precedent. Still, with the sports world on pause, books are preparing for something they've never faced before."We’re definitely bracing for the possibility that there’s very little for us to do in April," Walker said.If this "sports blackout" extends beyond three or four weeks, it'll put incredible stress on books to expand their offerings. Bettors surely won't replicate the volume of basketball and baseball with, say, golf or auto-racing, and an extended period without revenue could threaten the viability of smaller or seasonal leagues - meaning even less to bet on when play resumes.Needless to say, sportsbooks suffering major losses could jeopardize opportunities for bettors when everything returns to "normal." Yet even with fewer sports to book in the event of a widespread suspension of play, oddsmakers can't afford to inflate prices on their bets during that stretch without losing even more customers, forcing them to navigate even thinner margins in an industry with little room for error."You’re not going to see ‘price gouging’ because nobody's going to engage with us if we do that," Rood said. "We’re all in the same boat. We'll be as creative as we possibly can on what’s left to put up for wager."What if games resume but with no fans? That presents another challenge for sportsbooks, which will be pricing a home advantage with no real evidence to work from.Normally, home teams get a boost of 2.5 or 3 points on the line, but with no fans in the arena, is it really such an advantage? Rood expects that number to come down, as might the over/under for basketball games played in an empty gym. But he admits that's only a guess, and the early days of fanless sports will be an important "information-gathering" period from the sharp community - albeit with lower limits than usual."The answer is we kind of don’t know (what we'd do)," Rood said. "We’re going to need a sample size, and we’re going to have to adapt quickly to what unfolds in those early games if that’s the case moving forward."For now, it's a "wait and see" situation for sportsbooks, which were booking NCAA title bets just a few days ago. However, they're far from the only ones dealing with the fallout from the coronavirus."I've been telling everybody when they leave, 'Be safe,' because that’s all that matters," Walker said. "You want to see the same people the next day. We don’t want to lose anybody over something like this."There will be another March Madness. There will be another NBA season. We just want everybody to be safe and healthy."C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Rangers forward Brendan Lemieux will be suspended for his check on Colorado Avalanche forward Joonas Donskoi on Wednesday night, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Friday.The length of the suspension will be determined once resumption of play guidelines have been established.Lemieux caught Donskoi with a hit to the head late in the third period of Colorado's 3-2 overtime victory. The Avalanche winger left the game and didn't return.

The Under-18 Men's World Hockey Championship has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the IIHF announced Friday.The 10-team tournament had been scheduled for April 16-26 in Plymouth and Ann Arbor, Michigan. USA Hockey will refund those who purchased tickets for the event.The IIHF cited U.S. President Donald Trump's ban against travel between Europe and the United States, as well as Michigan authorities' recommendation to avoid gatherings of more than 100 people.Meanwhile, the IIHF will hold a conference call Tuesday to discuss the status of the Men's Senior World Championship, which is scheduled to be played May 8-24 in Zurich and Lausanne, Switzerland.The governing body of international hockey canceled the Division II and III worlds Friday.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hockey is officially on hold.The NHL followed the NBA's lead on Thursday afternoon by suspending its season in an attempt to avoid contributing to the spread of the coronavirus. The decision comes after two Utah Jazz players tested positive for the virus, and it marks a sharp escalation in the NHL's response to the outbreak, which until now was focusing on distancing players from the media and curbing contact with fans.The main concern here is the NHL doing its part in the broader effort to curtail the virus. Games are rightfully an afterthought when steps can be taken to minimize public health risks.Still, this indefinite postponement raises hockey-specific questions about everything from this year's Stanley Cup chase to the ceiling of the next salary cap. Whether the league can continue the season, and how that might be structured, will shape the resolutions to those issues.Here are four major storylines to ponder as the hiatus begins.The playoff pictureBefore play was suspended on Thursday, there were between 11 and 14 regular-season games remaining for each NHL team. The race for the final postseason spots in both conferences is now on pause, with no definite word on how, exactly, the timing and length of the schedule will be affected.Depending on when the NHL decides it's resuming play, the league could opt to go in one of these directions:

Calgary Flames alternate governor and former CEO Ken King died at the age of 68, the team announced Thursday.King, who previously served as president and CEO of Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation, lost a lengthy battle with cancer, according to Sportsnet's Eric Francis."Ken was the right leader at the right time for CSEC," said CSEC chairman and co-owner Murray Edwards. "His leadership and passion was exhibited every day in his successful delivery of the new Calgary event centre. He was a trusted confidant to all of the Flames owners, both past and present, and we all learned so much from him. My partners and I will miss our frequent conversations with our dear friend."King joined the Flames as president and CEO in the spring of 2001 and played a large role in growing the sports company, which also owns the WHL's Calgary Hitmen, AHL's Stockton Heat, and NLL's Calgary Roughnecks, and holds a controlling interest in the CFL's Calgary Stampeders.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL has paused the 2019-20 campaign due to the coronavirus pandemic but is hopeful to complete the season at some point, it announced Thursday."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," commissioner Gary Bettman said in the statement.The league's announcement comes in the wake of the NBA's decision Wednesday night to suspend its season. MLB and MLS have also suspended operations since then.Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell of the NBA's Utah Jazz have been diagnosed with the virus. Nobody in the NHL community has yet been diagnosed, but the league isn't taking any chances."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," Bettman said.The suspension means there will be no travel, no meetings, and no practices, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.Both the AHL and CHL announced Thursday they will also postpone their seasons.Additionally, the 2020 World Hockey Championship in Switzerland is likely to be canceled, IIHF president Rene Fasel told McKenzie. An official decision will reportedly be made Tuesday, though.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

All Hockey Canada-sanctioned activities, including national championships, have been canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the organization announced Thursday.The championships affected include the Telus Cup, Esso Cup, Centennial Cup, and other minor-league events throughout Canada."Without question, this is an unprecedented period of difficulty for the sports world," Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney said. "The health and safety of all participants in sport, including players, coaches, staff, officials, fans, family, volunteers, and the general public, is of the utmost importance to Hockey Canada."The decision comes after the NHL, AHL, and CHL opted Thursday to postpone their seasons amid rising virus concerns.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL Department of Player Safety never rests.New York Rangers forward Brendan Lemieux will have a hearing Friday for interfering with Colorado Avalanche forward Joonas Donskoi during Wednesday night's contest, the league announced Thursday.

Welcome to Puck Pursuit, a weekly interview-style podcast hosted by John Matisz, theScore's national hockey writer.Subscribe to the show on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.David Carle, head coach of the University of Denver men's hockey team, joins this week's show to discuss a variety of topics, including:

The NHL is consulting with medical experts and evaluating its options after the NBA suspended its season amid the coronavirus outbreak, the league said in a statement Wednesday.A further update will be provided Thursday.The NBA season was suspended indefinitely Wednesday after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.The NHLPA released a statement saying it's in continuous contact with the NHL regarding the coronavirus and the NBA's announcement and will consult with players before commenting further.Eleven NHL teams share a venue with an NBA club that plays out of the same city.Both the San Jose Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets already announced that their home games will be closed to the public for the foreseeable future.The league closed all locker rooms to media over the weekend.Several other competitions, including top-level professional hockey leagues in Germany (DEL) and Austria (EBEL) have canceled the remainder of their seasons due to the outbreak of the virus in Europe.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

USA Hockey has canceled its upcoming national championships and disabled festival amid fears over the coronavirus outbreak."Safety of our participants has always been our top priority and with the current coronavirus situation, our executive committee unanimously decided to cancel the national championship and disabled festival," USA Hockey president Jim Smith said in a statement Wednesday.The series of national championship events include high school, youth, girls, adult, and sled that were set to begin in various locations across the country on March 26, according to the Courier-Post's Dave Isaac.The National Hockey League said in a statement Wednesday that it will continue to consult with medical professionals while evaluating its options.Several other top-level competitions, including professional hockey leagues in Germany (DEL) and Austria (EBEL), have canceled the remainder of their campaigns due to the outbreak of the virus in Europe.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Reilly Smith roasted his former team Wednesday when discussing the possibility of playing games without fans present due to the coronavirus outbreak."I played in an empty building for a couple years in Florida so I'm used to it," Smith said, according to The Athletic's Jesse Granger.The Columbus Blue Jackets announced Wednesday they'll play Thursday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins without fans in attendance. The San Jose Sharks will play home games in an empty rink for the rest of the month.Smith spent two seasons with the Panthers from 2015-2017 before the team traded him to Vegas at the expansion draft for a fourth-round pick. The Panthers exposed Jonathan Marchessault in the expansion selection as a favor to the Golden Knights for taking on Smith's contract, which was deemed problematic with Smith coming off a 37-point season.In three years with Vegas, Smith has tallied 167 points in 212 games - a 65-point pace over 82 contests. The 28-year-old is in the third season of a five-year, $25-million deal he signed with the Panthers in 2016.Florida ranks 29th in attendance this season, averaging 14,104 spectators per game, according to ESPN.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Max Pacioretty is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, the team announced Wednesday.The 31-year-old leads the Knights in both goals (32) and points (66). Vegas is already without two-way forward Mark Stone, who leads the team with 42 assists and ranks second in points with 63. Alex Tuch, who would've been able to jump into the top six with the pair of injuries, is also sidelined.Pacioretty was traded from the Montreal Canadiens in September 2018 in exchange for Tomas Tatar, Nick Suzuki, and a 2019 second-round pick. A day after the trade, he signed a four-year, $28-million extension that began this season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Chris Tanev is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury, the team announced Wednesday.Tanev, 30, suffered the injury during Tuesday's 5-4 shootout victory over the New York Islanders. He played just four shifts during the third period and did not appear in overtime.The 6-foot-2 rearguard ranks second on the club in blocked shots (159) and has recorded 20 points through 69 games this season.Vancouver has lost five of its last seven games and sits tied for the final Western Conference wild-card berth entering Wednesday's action.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Jose Sharks will play in an empty SAP Center for the rest of the month amid concerns over the coronavirus, the team announced Wednesday.On Monday, Santa Clara County implemented a three-week ban on all large gatherings that began Wednesday.The Sharks have three home games during this stretch: March 19 vs. the Canadiens, March 21 vs. the Bruins, and March 29 vs. the Coyotes. They also have a pair of home games on April 2 and April 4 to close out the season.San Jose officially becomes the second NHL team to close its doors to fans after the Columbus Blue Jackets announced Wednesday they'll follow Ohio's ban on mass gatherings.Elsewhere around the sports world, the NCAA announced Wednesday that the men's and women's basketball tournaments will be played without fans.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Wednesday the state will issue an order banning mass gatherings, including sporting events."The reason we're doing the things we're doing is we have the potential of becoming Italy," DeWine said of the coronavirus precautions, according to The Washington Post's Adam Kilgore. Italy is among the countries hit hardest by the outbreak.Such a ban directly affects NCAA Tournament games in both Dayton and Cleveland, as well as home games for the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers and the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets.The Blue Jackets will close all games to the public beginning with Thursday's contest against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team announced Wednesday. Admission will be limited to home and visiting club personnel, credentialed media and broadcast partners, essential club and arena staff, and NHL officials.The NCAA announced later Wednesday that its entire men's and women's basketball tournaments will be played without fans present.DeWine declared a state of emergency in Ohio on Monday. So far, four cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, have been reported in the state."This seems difficult for people," DeWine, a Republican, said. "But we know what's coming. We know what's around the corner. ... Everything looks the same, but it's really not."Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon will be sidelined for one-to-two weeks due to a lower-body injury suffered Tuesday, the team announced.The specifics of the ailment are unclear. MacKinnon exited during the second period against the Los Angeles Kings and did not return.The Avalanche are primed to make the playoffs, but MacKinnon's absence is a devastating blow to their pursuit of the Central Division crown. Colorado is two points back of the St. Louis Blues for the top spot with a game in hand, but key skaters Mikko Rantanen, Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky, and starting goaltender Philipp Grubauer are also sidelined.On a positive note, rookie sensation Cale Makar will return to the lineup Wednesday after missing five games with an upper-body injury.MacKinnon is once again playing at an MVP-level this season, ranking fifth in league scoring with 93 points in 69 games.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche are getting a key reinforcement on Wednesday in the form of a legitimate Calder Trophy candidate.Defenseman Cale Makar will play against the New York Rangers after missing the last five games with an upper-body injury, he told reporters.Makar's return will be a welcomed addition for the Avs, who lost star forward Nathan MacKinnon to a lower-body injury on Monday that's expected to cost him one-to-two weeks. The club is also missing Nazem Kadri, Mikko Rantanen, Matt Calvert, Andre Burakovsky, and Philipp Grubauer.The 21-year-old Makar has recorded 47 points in 56 games during his rookie campaign. He was chosen fourth overall by the Avalanche in the 2017 draft.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Top-level professional hockey leagues in Germany (DEL) and Austria (EBEL) have canceled the remainder of their seasons due to the coronavirus outbreak in Europe, the IIHF confirmed Wednesday."We are incredibly sorry for all clubs, partners, and in particular the fans in entire Germany that we had to take this decision," DEL league manager Gernot Tripcke said. "However, due to the current development, we have the duty to deal responsibly with the situation. We as DEL put the health of our fans, players, and employees in focus."The cancellations mark the first time since World War II that the German and Austrian leagues won't crown champions. The DEL regular season recently ended and the EBEL had started its playoffs before the countries implemented rules barring gatherings of more than 1,000 people."We experience an exceptional situation that hit many areas of our lives," EBEL league manager Christian Feichtinger said. "Even though the decision hurts, we saw it as our responsibility to make our contribution to return to normality as soon as possible. The decision to cancel the championship was taken together by the league board and the club representatives. A continuation of the championship in front of empty stands would not have been an option for us because our sport lives from emotions and the sensational atmosphere in the arenas."The EBEL features eight teams from Austria and one from each of the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Italy - one of the countries worst affected by the outbreak.Several other European leagues remain in action, but smaller ones in Poland, Slovakia, and Asia have also shut down.The NHL is monitoring the situation as well. The San Jose Sharks face the prospect of playing in an empty arena when they return from their current road trip, while the league and the Columbus Blue Jackets decided to proceed with normal arena operations despite the recommendation of Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine for all sporting events to be played without spectators.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.