Gary Bettman Says NHL Is Focused on Player Safety Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman appeared Thursday on ESPN's Get Up to discuss the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the league. 

During the interview, Bettman spoke about the NHL's focus during the indefinite suspension of its 2019-20 season (1:00 mark):

"I think the most important thing in the short term is we should be focusing not just on sports, but we can be a good example of the fact that self-isolation is going to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus," Bettman said. "And that's what we're focused on. Keeping our players safe and setting a good example."

The NHL suspended its season March 12 one day after the NBA did the same. While no return date has been set, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation that no mass gatherings occur in the United States for at least eight weeks means the season may not pick back up until mid-May at the earliest.

Per CNN, there are over 193,000 known cases of coronavirus worldwide, resulting in over 7,800 deaths. That includes more than 4,300 reported cases and 79 deaths in the United States, and 447 cases and one reported death in Canada.

On Tuesday, the Ottawa Senators announced that an unidentified player tested positive for COVID-19, making him the first NHL player confirmed to have contracted the virus.

The Sens said the following in a statement:

"The Ottawa Senators are in the process of notifying anyone who has had known close contact with the athlete and are working with our team doctors and public health officials. As a result of this positive case, all members of the Ottawa Senators are requested to remain isolated, to monitor their health and seek advice from our team medical staff."

At the time of the 2019-20 season's suspension, every team had played at least 68 games and some had played as many as 71, meaning only a few weeks were left. The regular season had been set to end on April 4 with the playoffs starting shortly thereafter.

The NHL has yet to announce its plans with regard to whether it will finish the remainder of the regular season, go straight into the playoffs or figure out a different method once it is deemed safe to continue playing.

If the season does not continue, however, it would mark the first time since 2005 that the NHL does not award the Stanley Cup. The Cup was not awarded in 2005 due to a season-long lockout.