According to a report from Sportsnet analyst Jeff Marek, a "number of teams" including the entire North Division will not be participating in the upcoming 2020-21 ECHL season due to financial concerns and health and safety concerns regarding COVID-19.
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UPDATE: The ECHL has indeed confirmed that the entire North Division will not play.
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“As we continue to navigate the continually changing regulations across North America, we recognize the difficult nature of this decision,” said ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin. “While some of our teams’ host cities have allowed upcoming plans to include fans inside arenas, we unfortunately do not see the same path for these highly-affected areas in the Northeast.”
Crelin goes on to explain in a statement that all of the teams are set to return in the 2021-22 ECHL season. Interestingly enough, all of the players from these teams are now unrestricted free agents.
