Coronavirus: NHL temporarily suspends league-wide operations to slow COVID-19 spread

In a bid to slow the spread of COVID-19, the National Hockey League and its players association reportedly agreed late Monday to a four-day pause encompassing the Christmas weekend, WPXI reported.

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According to The Athletic, the league-wide operations hiatus will stretch from Wednesday through Saturday, with team facilities reopening no earlier than 2 p.m. local time on Sunday, The Athletic reported.

According to the outlet, no testing and no practices will take place during the four-day window.

A number of franchises had already determined this past weekend to individually shutter operations until after the holiday, including the Blue Jackets, Canadiens, Red Wings, Maple Leafs, Bruins, Predators, Flames, Avalanche and Panthers, WPXI reported.

The league announced Sunday that all cross-border match-ups between U.S.- and Canada-based teams would be postponed until after the Christmas break.

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Prior to Monday’s decision, the NHL had postponed 44 games amid a surge in players being placed in COVID-19 protocol, The Athletic reported.

According to the sports news outlet, action is slated to resume with 14 games on Dec. 27.

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