The KHL announced it has canceled the rest of the 2019-20 season due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The KHL had previously paused its postseason until April 10, which was currently in the second round.

“It is with a heavy heart that KHL has made this decision, however, the health and safety of all those involved in the League and its fans are of paramount importance,” the KHL said in a statement.

KHL has cancelled the 2020 #GagarinCup Playoffs due to COVID-19 pandemic. pic.twitter.com/cPSfKzZVzI

— KHL (@khl_eng) March 25, 2020

The KHL considered resuming its playoffs at a later date but deemed that it did not want to risk impacting the start of the 2020-21 season.

KHL president Alexey Morozov added this in a statement:

It’s unfortunate that we have to finish the season early, and it wasn’t an easy decision. I’m sure that every fan, along with us, wanted to see the conclusion of the competition. However, the health of players and their loved ones, club employees, employees of sports facilities, and, of course, the fans, is much more important.

This decision could not be delayed, all those involved needed clarity and certainty in order to plan effectively. We thank everyone for their patience while we made this difficult decision.

I remain hopeful that the current situation will not affect next season.

I understand that many will be upset with the cancellation of the 2019-20 season, especially the fans of clubs that had progressed to the second round of the playoffs. However, we must follow the recommendations of health organizations.

Take care of yourself and your loved ones in this difficult time, and we will see you very soon.

Russia has reported only 658 positive cases of COVID-19 and one death, but it’s unclear how accurate those numbers are.