Canadiens ask scouts to stop flying, avoid travel in response to COVID-19

Marc-Bergevin

Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin speaks to the media. (Ryan Remiorz/CP)

The Montreal Canadiens have asked scouts to stop flying and to avoid travelling to at-risk countries in response to concerns over the COVID-19 outbreak.

“At this time, we have asked our scouts to stop flying, stay in their own countries and/or avoid travelling to countries listed as at risk by the World Health Organization,” the Canadiens said in a statement Wednesday via Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. “We are re-evaluating the situation on a daily basis.”

The update from the Canadiens comes in the wake of the Toronto Maple Leafs grounding their scouts from flying to games, as reported by Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston.

The impact of the coronavirus outbreak has been felt across the hockey world as five hockey leagues in Europe have cancelled the remainder of their regular seasons and playoffs, while the 2020 women’s world hockey championship was called off over the weekend.

On Monday, the NHL, MLB, NBA and MLS announced in a joint statement that non-essential employees and team personnel, including media, would not be allowed inside locker rooms or clubhouses until further notice.

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