Early Monday morning, the AHL announced the cancellation of the Calder Cup Playoffs and remainder of the 2019-20 season. This news comes after the AHL officially postponed the season after the completion of games on March 11. On March 16, they announced the season would not return before May, at the earliest.
The Hershey Bears tweeted the news at 9 AM.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AHL has cancelled the remainder of the 2019-20 season and 2020 Calder Cup Playoffs. As we navigate through this unprecedented time, we encourage fans to please visit https://t.co/YaeeguyoNF to review our Frequently Asked Questions. #HBH pic.twitter.com/oNrkoMOWeA
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) May 11, 2020
The AHL released a longer statement that reads:
After a lengthy review process, the American Hockey League has determined the resumption and completion of the 2019-20 season is not feasible in light of current conditions.
The League’s operational focus has turned toward actively preparing for the 2020-21 season.
We are very grateful to the National Hockey League and its teams for their support and leadership in navigating through the challenges faced over the past two months.
The AHL continues to place paramount importance on the health and safety of our players, officials, staff and fans and all of their families, and we look forward to returning to our arenas in 2020-21.
The AHL also included that the standings, sorted by points percentage, and stats as of March 12 are considered final and will be used for determining league awards for the 2019-20 season.
Potomac, MD native Sam Anas, a Minnesota Wild prospect, won the league scoring title after tallying 20 goals and 70 points in 63 games. The Hershey Bears finished the season in second place in the Atlantic Division. Philippe Maillet finished the season as the Bears leading scorer with 17 goals and 44 assists.
