Patrice Bergeron, Other Bruins Release Statement After Season Paused

The NHL on Thursday paused its season due to the coronavirus outbreak, meaning the Boston Bruins — along with the 30 other teams — will need to wait until further notice to see the ice again.

Boston was in the midst of a stellar season, racking up 100 points and sitting atop the NHL standings before the pause was put in place.

The league itself released a statement Thursday with more details surrounding what comes next, including no travel or practices.

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And members of the Bruins, who were set to the play the Buffalo Sabres on Friday and Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, released their own statement to fans, expressing disappointment.

Read the statements below, which were provided by the team:

President Cam Neely: While we are disappointed to have the season put on pause, we respect and support the decision of the NHL. 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.

General Manager Don Sweeney: 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. 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.

Head Coach Bruce Cassidy: It is disappointing, but it’s the prudent thing to do in these uncertain times. 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.

Captain/Defenseman Zdeno Chara: Today’s news is difficult to process for our team, our staff, our city and our fans everywhere. 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.

Alternate Captain/Center Patrice Bergeron: While it’s disappointing the season has been paused, it’s become apparent that the situation is much larger than sports. 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.

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