The sports world came to an abrupt halt this week, after concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic led to every major league in North America choosing to pause their schedules in the interest of public health.
It is obviously far too early to know when we can expect teams back on the ice this year, but the commissioner is steadfast in his belief that the league will resume play when the time is right and that the season will pick up where it left off.
"I'm a little hesitant to use the word suspension, because our hope and our expectation is, when things get back to normal and it's safe and it's prudent, that we can go back and resume the season and ultimately have the Stanley Cup awarded," commissioner Gary Bettman said in an interview with CNBC on Thursday.