USA Hockey cancels National Championships, Disabled Festival amid coronavirus outbreak

By @StefanKubus – 

Following in the steps of the NCAA and NBA, USA Hockey has announced their position on the coronavirus outbreak.

The governing body for youth hockey in the U.S. released a statement Wednesday night stating all youth, high school, girls, adult and sled National Championships across the country have been cancelled.

Additionally, the Disabled Festival, which was scheduled across two weekends (March 26-29 and April 2-5) in Pittsburgh, has also been cancelled.

“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 Championships and Disabled Festival,” USA Hockey president Jim Smith said in a release.

“We felt it was important to get the news of the cancellation out immediately,” said Pat Kelleher, executive director of USA Hockey. “We’re sure there will be many questions and we appreciate everyone’s patience as we together work through this unprecedented situation.

“While we’re disappointed that we had to make this decision, we celebrate the success of USA Hockey teams across the country this year, as well as the time and effort so many people invested into these signature events. We’re thankful to our national sponsors, tournament directors, volunteers and so many others for their support in making hockey an enjoyable experience for all.”

Stay tuned for more on this developing story…