IIHF Cancels Men's Hockey World Championship Because of Coronavirus

The International Ice Hockey Federation announced the cancellation of the 2020 men's hockey world championship Saturday because of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to ESPN's Emily Kaplan, IIHF President Rene Fasel said the following regarding the decision in a statement:

"This is a harsh reality to face for the international ice hockey family, but one that we must accept. The coronavirus is a global problem and requires major efforts by government bodies to combat its spread. The IIHF must do all it can to support this fight. We have to set sport aside for now and support both the government bodies and the ice hockey family."

The men's hockey world championship had been set to emanate from Zurich and Lausanne, Switzerland, from May 8 through May 24.

This marks the second cancellation of a major IIHF-sanctioned event, as the women's world championship that was scheduled to take place in Nova Scotia, Canada, in March was previously canceled as well.

Per CNN, there are more than 234,000 cases of COVID-19 worldwide, contributing to over 9,800 deaths. That includes over 3,800 cases and 33 deaths in Switzerland.

The men's hockey world championship is staged annually, and it often features many of the best NHL players who either didn't make the playoffs or saw their teams get eliminated early in the postseason.

The NHL has suspended the 2019-20 season, and it is currently unknown when or if the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs will take place.

This marks the first time since 1988, when the tournament was canceled in favor of participation in the Winter Olympics, that the IIHF men's world hockey championship will not be held.