Following a trend among a number of sporting and music events, the NHL has decided to pause the 2019-2020 regular season in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus.

The league made the announcement on Thursday afternoon, saying they hope to "resume play as soon as possible".

The NHL's PR twitter account shared the announcement, which explains that the league has been "attempting to follow the mandates of health experts and local authorities, while preparing for any possible developments without taking premature or unnecessary measures".

NHL officials saw the positive test of an NBA player as a signal that it is "no longer appropriate to try to continue to play games at this time".

They go on to say that they will monitor the situation, with the goal 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".

There are 189 remaining games in the 2019-2020 season, including 10 scheduled for today.

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