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HOCKEY ON HOLD PHOTO BY Getty Images 7 14 21 28 By Harry Thompson I T'S BEEN AN ANNUAL RITE OF SPRING for more than 60 years, a time-honored t r a d i t i o n f o r t h e t o p t e a m s a r o u n d t h e country to come together and compete for national bragging rights. For those fortunate enough to make it to a USA Hockey National Championship, it's the culmination of months' worth of blood, sweat and tears for players and coaches, and equal parts of support and sacrifice from parents and other family members. A n d y e t t h i s year, those vying t o c o m p e t e f o r youth hockey 's holy grail came up against an ominous opponent that brought their championship dreams to an abrupt end. The global coronavirus pan- demic has impacted every aspect of our daily lives, leading to the closure of schools and church- es, stores and restaurants. It has brought life as we know it to a screeching halt, forcing the cancellation of almost every activity and event, including the 2020 Chipotle USA Hockey National Championships. "This is not a hockey issue. This is a societal issue. It's a glob- al issue," said Kevin McLaughlin, whose department oversees the selection, organization and implementation of Nationals. By the time District tournaments were ramping up in early March, news that the coronavirus had reached the shores of the United States was on the minds of many. USA Hockey national office staff and key volunteers continued to monitor the situation and discussed scenarios that would allow the games to be played while keeping everyone involved safe. There were countless phone calls, text messages and emails as USA Hockey staff members and volunteers from the seven host sites conferred on a daily and sometimes hourly basis about the best course of action. APRIL/MAY 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 17 USA Hockey's National Championships Among The Many Events Impacted By Global Health Crisis By Harry Thompson Hockey Canada- Sanctioned Events Hockey Canada's board of directors canceled all sanctioned activities, including youth national championships. The National Women's Hockey League postponed its Isobel Cup final between the Minnesota Whitecaps and Boston Pride. The NWHL will reschedule it "at the appropriate time." The 2020 IIHF Men's World Championship became the final event on the international hockey calendar to be canceled when the IIHF Council made the call that event scheduled to take place May 8-24 in Zurich and Lausanne, Switzerland would not be held. IIHF Men's World Championship NWHL's Isobel Cup Final For the second time in its 30-year history, the IIHF Women's World Championship was struck down by a health scare. This year's event, slated to begin March 30 in Halifax and Truro, Nova Scotia, was canceled at the request of the provincial health authority. IIHF Women's World Championship Player Development Camps USA Hockey cancelled the Boys Select 15 National Camp and the Girls 15 and 16/17 National Camps. The Boys Select 16 and 17 National Camps and the Girls Under-18 Select National Camp are tentatively scheduled to take place and will be by invitation only.