COVID-19 forces NOJHL to put playoffs on hold (update)

After announcing the postponement of a pair of playoff games earlier in the evening, the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League announced on Thursday night that the lead has cancelled all playoff games and hockey-related activity until further notice due to COVID-19.

Leagues across the country that comprise the Canadian Junior Hockey League made similar announcements on Thursday.

The CJHL covers all leagues at the Jr. A level.

In a prepared statement, NOJHL commissioner Robert Mazzuca said “the NOJHL is thoroughly committed to the health and safety of our players, on and off-ice officials, as well as our staff, volunteers, loyal fans and the general public, so with the best interest of everyone involved, the difficult decision has been made to put a hold on the playoffs, until further notice.”

“We will continue to closely monitor the latest health information, including data and recommended measures provided by public health agencies regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and will act accordingly as we move forward in dealing with this world-wide pandemic.”

The second round of the NOJHL playoffs got underway on Wednesday night at the Timmins Rock beat the Hearst Lumberjacks 5-2 in the opening game of their best-of-7 series.

The Soo Thunderbirds were slated to face the Blind River Beavers in one of two games slated to take place on Thursday night. The Soo (Mich.) Eagles were scheduled to face the Rayside-Balfour Canadians in Thursday’s other game.

The fourth second round series – the Powassan Voodoos taking on the Cochrane Crunch – was scheduled to begin on Friday night.