NHL postpones draft, postseason awards

The NHL, which remains in a shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, announced additional postponements to its calendar on Wednesday. The NHL draft, scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal, will be held at a later date. The league also postponed the scouting combine, slated for June 1-6 in Buffalo, N.Y., and the season-ending awards ceremony, scheduled for June 18 in Las Vegas.

The location and dates of all of the events are now uncertain. The NHL statement added, "With respect to the Bridgestone NHL Awards, the League looks forward to returning to Las Vegas in the future. Las Vegas has been the home of the Bridgestone NHL Awards since 2009."

The NHL season was suspended on March 12, with the league stating it would consider opening a training camp in 45 days. Three weeks remained in the regular season at the point of the closure. On March 16, players were told they could return to their offseason homes, if possible.

Two unnamed Ottawa Senators players subsequently tested positive for COVID-19. On Tuesday, multiple media outlets reported that some NHL league office employees are facing a 25 percent pay cut effective April 1. The Montreal Canadiens also announced that they will lay off employees, but the New Jersey Devils backed off a plan to cut employees' salaries.

--Field Level Media

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