Chiefs, league still hold out hope for playoffs

The Spokane Chiefs’ regular season officially came to an end Wednesday when Western Hockey League Commissioner Ron Robison announced the conclusion of the 2019-20 WHL regular season.

However, the WHL playoffs could still be played, the league said.

Following a meeting with the WHL Board of Governors and consultation with medical professionals it was determined that the remaining 54 games on the 2019-20 WHL regular-season schedule will be cancelled and not played.

“The WHL takes the safety of our players, officials, staff, fans, and everyone associated with the WHL very seriously,” Robison said. “Given the ongoing public health developments regarding COVID-19, we deemed it necessary to cancel the remaining games on the 2019-20 WHL regular-season schedule.

“We will continue to monitor ongoing public health developments regarding COVID-19. We will make every effort possible to conduct the 2020 WHL playoffs at a later date. We thank WHL fans and partners for your patience and understanding during these challenging times.”

The final standings (see Scoreboard) for the 2019-20 WHL regular season are determined by using win percentage for all clubs. Spokane, which finished third in the U.S. Division, ended up fourth in the Western Conference and fifth in the WHL.