The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:
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Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos is one of five players added to the NHL’s COVID-19 list, a day after he was unable to play in a 5-2 loss to Florida.
The Lightning had listed Stamkos as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
The Philadelphia Flyers now have seven players on the list with the additions of defenseman Oskar Lindblom and forward Scott Laughton. Lindblom returned for the playoffs this past summer after being diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, rare type of bone cancer in December 2019.
The Flyers have been off since playing on Sunday, and their schedule postponed through Thursday, when they’re set to host the New York Rangers.
Philadelphia is then scheduled to play the Boston Bruins on Feb. 21 in one of two outdoor games to be played on Lake Tahoe.
Arizona Coyotes forward John Hayden and Detroit Red Wings goalie Calvin Pickard also were new additions to the COVID-19 list.
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The Atlantic Coast Conference says upcoming women’s basketball games involving third-ranked Louisville and No. 4 North Carolina State have been postponed.
The Cardinals were scheduled to visit Syracuse on Sunday, but that game has been postponed following a positive COVID-19 test, quarantining and contact tracing within the Cardinals program.
The Wolfpack’s next game was a visit from Notre Dame on Monday, but that game has been postponed due to positive tests, quarantining and contact tracing within the Fighting Irish program.
The league didn’t announce a makeup date for either game.
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The Western Hockey League says it has approval from the Saskatchewan government to play a 24-game East Division season in a hub in Regina starting next month.
Three of the major junior league’s four divisions have now been cleared to start play during the COVID-19 pandemic, with only the B.C. Division lacking permission.
Seven teams in Manitoba and Saskatchewan — the Moose Jaw Warriors, Prince Albert Raiders, Regina Pats, Saskatoon Blades, Swift Current Broncos, Brandon Wheat Kings, and Winnipeg Ice — will open play at the Brandt Centre in Regina on March 12. Each team will play a 24-game season and no fans will be in attendance.
Players and staff will begin self-quarantining on Feb. 20 and will report to Regina on Feb. 27 for an additional quarantine period and testing. They must have a second negative COVID-19 test to engage in any team activity.
The WHL says it will have a weekly testing strategy during the season. If a club has one or more players or staff test positive, the club must suspend activities for a minimum of 14 days.
The Central Division, featuring five Alberta teams, is slated to begin play on Feb, 26, and the U.S. Division is set to open March 19.
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is playing in hubs in Quebec and in team arenas in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, but its three New Brunswick teams remain sidelined. The Ontario Hockey League has yet to announce plans for a season.
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Ontario has given its two American Hockey League teams the green light to play home games in the province, clearing the way for the Belleville Senators and Toronto Marlies.
Play in the five-team Canadian Division was set to begin Friday, but the league put the Senators and the Marlies on the road for all of February as it waited word from Ontario authorities.
Lisa MacLeod, Ontario’s sport minister, says the two AHL teams in Ontario have proposed comparable safety measures to the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators during the pandemic.
The AHL’s Canadian Division was created for this season to avoid border restrictions. The other teams are the Laval Rocket, Manitoba Moose and Stockton (California) Heat, who have relocated for this season to Calgary, home of their NHL affiliate.
The top feeder league for the NHL hasn’t released the Canadian schedule past February.
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