Eighteen members of a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team have tested positive for the coronavirus and have been placed in isolation for 14 days, the team and league reported Wednesday.
The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada have suspended operations indefinitely because of the outbreak. The QMJHL started its regular season last Friday, while the Western and Ontario major junior leagues have delayed opening until at least December.
The Armada learned about one positive test on Monday and suspended in-person operations. The Sherbrooke Phoenix also suspended in-person activities after playing the Armada twice over the weekend.
"Although our sanitary and medical protocol is very strict and rigorous, we knew that COVID-19 was highly infectious and could eventually hit certain players and team staff members,'' QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau said in a statement Wednesday.
The league features aspiring professional players, including NHL prospects, between the ages of 16 and 21.