(AP) -- The American Hockey League has canceled the rest of its season because of the coronavirus pandemic, which means the Calder Cup will not be handed out for the first time since 1936.
AHL President and CEO David Andrews announced Monday that the league "has determined that the resumption and completion of the 2019-20 season is not feasible in light of current conditions."
The AHL's Board of Governors made that determination in a conference call Friday.
Andrews added: “The League’s operational focus has turned toward actively preparing for the 2020-21 season.
We are very grateful to the National Hockey League and its teams for their support and leadership in navigating through the challenges faced over the past two months.
The AHL continues to place paramount importance on the health and safety of our players, officials, staff and fans and all of their families, and we all look forward to returning to our arenas in 2020-21.”
The AHL hopes to return next season, with one possibility is that no fans would be allowed in arenas.
The 84th season for the NHL's top minor league was suspended March 12 with 209 games remaining. The league said its standings, sorted by points percentage, and stats as of March 12 are “considered final and official, and will serve as the basis for determining league awards for the 2019-20 season.”
The San Diego Gulls finish with a 30-19 record, good enough for fourth place in the Pacific Division.
In a statement, Gulls officials said:
"We thank our players, coaches, hockey operations and business staff for their dedication this season representing San Diego with the utmost passion.
Our fans are the backbone of our organization, and we appreciate their patience as we faced uncertainty surrounding the conclusion of our season. Gulls fans holding tickets for any of the six remaining home games will have the opportunity to use affected game tickets purchased as a credit toward future games during the 2020-21 regular season, donate their credit to the San Diego Gulls Foundation, or request a refund.
We look forward to returning to play next season to bring Gulls hockey back to America’s Finest Fans."
