Quebec government forces two QMJHL teams to shut down

According to a report from Willy Pavlov of The Halifax Chronicle Herald, the Quebec provincial government has forced two QMJHL teams to shut down for the remainder of October.

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Both the Quebec Remparts and the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada will have to postpone the rest of their games this month on orders from the Quebec government. All team sports in Quebec's 'red zone' have been shut down for the entireity of October. Both the the Armada and the Remparts will miss eight games apiece and there's no word yet on whether or not the QMJHL will reschedule these games. It's also worth noting that the games were scheduled to be played with no fans in attendance. 

the 10 other Quebec based teams in the QMJHL have not been effected by this provincial order and the six Maritimes teams are also, obviously, unaffected. As a result of today's news, the QMJHL has released a statement.

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"Following the Quebec government’s announcement to prohibit the practice of sports in the designated red zones, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is very disappointed in this decision.

"The conduct of our activities has been above reproach since the start of training camps at the end of August. The return to play protocol was approved and applauded by public health officials in Quebec and by the three Maritime-based provinces in which the league operates. It has been hailed as thorough and effective. The league would like to congratulate the players and team staffs for its flawless execution.

"Over the course of the next few days, we will share with Quebec public health officials additional measures which will render the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada’s and Quebec Remparts’ bubbles even more secure. We hope that these new directives will be well-received by Quebec’s health agency. The QMJHL is convinced that these additional measures will go above and beyond what is required to protect our players, staffs and officials and enable all of our teams to continue playing."

It's believed that the QMJHL is working feverishly behind the scenes to get both these teams back on the ice in another market within the league so as to not disrupt their schedule. Stay tuned.