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North Division Suspends Season

COVID ends season for six more ECHL franchises

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Photo by Joe Lovell Wheeling’s Spencer Trapp tries to take control of the puck during the Nailers’ Tuesday, March 10 game against Reading. Reading is one of six North Division teams that will not play the 2020-21 season. The league announced Wednesday its entire North Division will suspend play for the season under its COVID-19 policy.

The ECHL announced on Wednesday that all six teams in the North Division will be suspending the upcoming 2020-21 hockey season under the league's policy for COVID-19.

Included in the North Division shutdown are the Adirondack Thunder, Brampton Beast, Maine Mariners, Newfoundland Growlers, Reading Royals and the Worcester Railers.

Those six teams join Atlanta and Norfolk, who had already opted out this year.

The Wheeling Nailers played North Division opponents nine times last year in 59 games (15 percent of the schedule) before the season was canceled.

Wheeling was slated to play 12 games against the North last year, including nine battles with Reading.

Under the terms of the ECHL/PHPA Collective Bargaining Agreement, all players from those six North Division teams are now free agents for the 2020-21 season, leaving the teams left playing this year the opportunity to improve their clubs.

Starting at /week.