Bruins issue statements on NHL suspending season indefinitely
May 29, 2019; Boston, MA, USA; A general view of the Boston Bruins and the Stanley Cup logo during the National Anthem before a game against the St. Louis Blues in Game 2 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden. (Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports)
By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
The league-best Bruins are officially on the sidelines, as the National Hockey League joined the rest of the professional sporting world in suspending their season in an effort to prevent and/or contain a coronavirus outbreak.
And with practice and media availability canceled on Thursday (and for the foreseeable future), the Bruins released some of statements of their own following NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s statement.
“While we are disappointed to have the season put on pause, we respect and support the decision of the NHL,” B’s president Cam Neely said. “The health of our fans, players, staff and all of our associates is paramount, and we are hopeful that we can continue the season when it is safe to resume. We will provide Bruins updates when available, and on behalf of the organization we would like to wish good health to all.”
“I think we all believe that the health and well-being of every individual person has to be the priority when decisions like this are made,” Boston general manager (and the league’s reigning GM of the Year) Don Sweeney said. “We want to support the efforts of the entire Health sector as they dedicate their lives to care for those in need. Hopefully we are able to resume playing at some point and the pursuit of the Stanley Cup is realized and becomes a small part of the story. Right now, the world’s focus must remain on people staying healthy and recovering from these challenging times.”
The B’s release also came with statements from the actual on-ice product, too.
“It is disappointing, but it’s the prudent thing to do in these uncertain times,” Bruce Cassidy offered. “The health of every individual all over the globe is the number one priority and more important than hockey. Hopefully the situation improves to a point where we can resume hockey and compete for the Stanley Cup but until then please remain safe and healthy.”
“Today’s news is difficult to process for our team, our staff, our city and our fans everywhere,” Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, a week away from celebrating his 43rd birthday, said. “As players, we love being able to compete and feed off the passion of our fans, but we understand that this challenge facing our world is much bigger than sports. We fully respect the NHL’s decision today and wish everyone good health until we can once again come together to celebrate the game we love.”
“While it’s disappointing the season has been paused, it’s become apparent that the situation is much larger than sports,” said Patrice Bergeron. “In a time like this it is important we continue to listen to experts whose job it is to maintain the safety and well-being of the population until the issue stabilizes. That said, we hope the situation improves soon and we can resume our pursuit of the Stanley Cup.
“Finally, I’d like to wish everyone in the New England community, and people across the globe, safety and good health.”
As is the case with every other league currently suspended, there is no set return date in sight for the league to return to action, with multiple reports indicating that the league will instead approach things on a week-to-week basis.
The Bruins are currently the best team in the NHL, and the league’s only team with 100 points.
