Idaho Steelheads Season Suspended (Yup…Coronavirus)

Southern Idaho's minor league hockey team, The Steelheads, will join the rest of the East Coast Hockey League and suspend all remaining scheduled games until further notice due to fears of spreading the Coronavirus.

The suspension notice appeared on the official Idaho Steelheads website Thursday afternoon. The team plays its home games at CenturyLink Arena in Boise. The team's scheduled games March 13-15, against the Rapid City Rush of South Dakota, have been cancelled. Information on how to get refunds on tickets is also available on the Steelhead's website.

In recent days, the announcements have been made that the National Basketball Association, as well as the National Hockey League, have also suspended all remaining games. The start of the 2020-21 Major League Baseball season is in jeopardy as well.

To date, the virus has sickened more than 1,200 people in the United States, causing more than 40 deaths. Major concerts, as well as other outdoor events that attract hundreds of people throughout the country, continue to be cancelled.

The mayor of Seattle, Jenny Durkan, recently announced that most major city events planned for the year that are expected to have more than 250 people in attendance, likely will be postponed. Officials in Washington State and Florida have declared a state of emergency; Washington State currently has the most confirmed cases in the country.

The ECHL, in which the Steelheads are a part of, will also be reaching out to fans regarding refunds in the coming days. Safety of the fans, players and employees, was listed as the driving force behind the announced suspension.