KHL working on new playoff format after two teams drop out

NHL insider Justin Bourne joins Good Show with Ben Ennis (in studio) and J.D. Bunkis (via phone) to discuss why it will be much more challenging and unlikely for the NHL to salvage their season then any other of the major sports.

The Kontinental Hockey League says it’s suspending the playoffs for a week, but only to continue in a new format.

The KHL is widely considered to be the strongest ice hockey league outside of the NHL and is one of the few major sports organizations still operating in Europe.

Two of the last eight teams in the playoff bracket _ Finland’s Jokerit and Kazakhstan’s Barys_ have withdrawn due to concerns about the virus outbreak and related security measures. One game last week was played in an empty arena.

The league says in a statement that it will talk with Russian authorities about a way forward. The KHL spans six countries but all of the remaining teams in the playoffs are Russian.

The league adds that “the start date, the period and the detailed format of competition will be decided in the near future.”

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