Pandemic effects spur Canadian Hockey League to cancel 2021 Memorial Cup

The Canadian Hockey League has canceled the 2021 Memorial Cup due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

CHL President Dan MacKenzie said Tuesday the decision was made based on “limitations on travel, border restrictions, and quarantining requirements that would make it impossible to produce league champions.”

The decision was made with the approval of the CHL’s three member leagues, the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

““The CHL is committed to the health and safety of our players, their families and billets, our teams, staff and officials, and the communities in which we play. That has driven all of our difficult decisions for the last year as we have dealt with this global pandemic,” MacKenzie said in a release. “The Memorial Cup is steeped in tradition and is one of the most difficult trophies to win in all of sport. The CHL looks forward to presenting it next season to the championship club that has earned the right to hoist it.”

The Memorial Cup is an annual round-robin event and the coveted prize of Canadian junior hockey. It features 60 teams from Canada and four U.S. states.

The dates and location of the 2022 Memorial Cup will be announced at a later date.