HERSHEY, Pa. — The Hershey Bears and the American Hockey League announced Wednesday that the start of the season has been pushed back to Feb. 5, 2021, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The decision was made at the recommendation of the league's Return to Play Task Force, the Bears said on their website.
The AHL said it will continue to work with its 31 member clubs to "monitor developments and local guidelines in all 31 league cities."
Further details about the 2020-21 season have yet to be determined, the AHL said.
The Bears said in a statement on Twitter that "we will always prioritize the health and safety of our team members and fans as we develop our specific return to play plans."
The AHL suspended the 2019-20 season on March 12. The league never completed the season, announcing in May that it was cancelled.
In operation since 1936, the AHL serves as the top development league for all 31 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame spent time in the AHL in their careers.
The Bears have been members of the AHL since 1938, making them the league's longest continuously operating member club still playing in their original city.
