Canadian Hockey League cancels playoffs and Memorial Cup

UPDATE 3:19 p.m.

The CHL announced on Monday that they have cancelled all remaining regular-season games and playoffs, including the Memorial Cup which was set to be held in Kelowna in May.

The statement from the league office indicates, "the CHL has continued to monitor the latest updates and advice from all public health agencies and medical experts, and worked tirelessly to determine a scenario by which the balance of our season could be played. Unfortunately, given the troubling state of our global climate and public welfare, there is still too much risk and uncertainty to move forward in good conscience."

"With that in mind, CHL President Dan MacKenzie and Commissioners David Branch, Gilles Courteau, and Ron Robison have made the difficult decision to cancel the OHL, QMJHL, and WHL playoffs, and along with the support of Kia Canada as the presenting sponsor, to cancel the 2020 Memorial Cup which was scheduled to be held in Kelowna, B.C., May 22-31, 2020."

2020 Memorial Cup Committee Chair, Tom Dyas says, “we are truly devastated to not be bringing this event to Kelowna in May."

"We’ve been working so hard with our local committee, partners, sponsors and volunteers over the last year and having to cancel this event is something that we never expected," Dyas added. "We know that the health and safety of the community needs to come first, so we are supportive of the CHL’s decision to cancel the 2020 Memorial Cup.”

Rockets owner, Bruce Hamilton says, “these are unprecedented times in our leagues, it will be the first time that a team isn’t hoisting a Memorial Cup at the end of the season.” Hamilton also says, “we had a lot of discussions within our leagues and with the CHL over the past weeks. It was a tough decision to cancel the Memorial Cup, but with the uncertainty right now, we feel that it is the right one.”

It appears now that the event has been cancelled in Kelowna, the CHL will skip our city and "next year's Memorial Cup will be presented at our prestigious national championship, hosted by the OHL in May, 2021."

ORIGINAL 3:07 p.m.

CHL President Dan MacKenzie and Commissioners David Branch, Gilles Courteau, and Ron Robison have made the difficult decision to cancel the OHL, QMJHL, and WHL playoffs, and along with the support of Kia Canada as the presenting sponsor, to cancel the 2020 Memorial Cup, which was scheduled to be held in Kelowna May 22-31, 2020.

More coming...