Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Wednesday the state will issue an order banning mass gatherings, including sporting events.

"The reason we're doing the things we're doing is we have the potential of becoming Italy," DeWine said of the coronavirus precautions, according to The Washington Post's Adam Kilgore. Italy is among the countries hit hardest by the outbreak.

Such a ban directly affects NCAA Tournament games in both Dayton and Cleveland, as well as home games for the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers and the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Blue Jackets will close all games to the public beginning with Thursday's contest against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team announced Wednesday. Admission will be limited to home and visiting club personnel, credentialed media and broadcast partners, essential club and arena staff, and NHL officials.

The NCAA announced later Wednesday that its entire men's and women's basketball tournaments will be played without fans present.

DeWine declared a state of emergency in Ohio on Monday. So far, four cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, have been reported in the state.

"This seems difficult for people," DeWine, a Republican, said. "But we know what's coming. We know what's around the corner. ... Everything looks the same, but it's really not."

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Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon will be sidelined for one-to-two weeks due to a lower-body injury suffered Tuesday, the team announced.

The specifics of the ailment are unclear. MacKinnon exited during the second period against the Los Angeles Kings and did not return.

The Avalanche are primed to make the playoffs, but MacKinnon's absence is a devastating blow to their pursuit of the Central Division crown. Colorado is two points back of the St. Louis Blues for the top spot with a game in hand, but key skaters Mikko Rantanen, Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky, and starting goaltender Philipp Grubauer are also sidelined.

On a positive note, rookie sensation Cale Makar will return to the lineup Wednesday after missing five games with an upper-body injury.

MacKinnon is once again playing at an MVP-level this season, ranking fifth in league scoring with 93 points in 69 games.

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The Colorado Avalanche are getting a key reinforcement on Wednesday in the form of a legitimate Calder Trophy candidate.

Defenseman Cale Makar will play against the New York Rangers after missing the last five games with an upper-body injury, he told reporters.

Makar's return will be a welcomed addition for the Avs, who lost star forward Nathan MacKinnon to a lower-body injury on Monday that's expected to cost him one-to-two weeks. The club is also missing Nazem Kadri, Mikko Rantanen, Matt Calvert, Andre Burakovsky, and Philipp Grubauer.

The 21-year-old Makar has recorded 47 points in 56 games during his rookie campaign. He was chosen fourth overall by the Avalanche in the 2017 draft.

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Top-level professional hockey leagues in Germany (DEL) and Austria (EBEL) have canceled the remainder of their seasons due to the coronavirus outbreak in Europe, the IIHF confirmed Wednesday.

"We are incredibly sorry for all clubs, partners, and in particular the fans in entire Germany that we had to take this decision," DEL league manager Gernot Tripcke said. "However, due to the current development, we have the duty to deal responsibly with the situation. We as DEL put the health of our fans, players, and employees in focus."

The cancellations mark the first time since World War II that the German and Austrian leagues won't crown champions. The DEL regular season recently ended and the EBEL had started its playoffs before the countries implemented rules barring gatherings of more than 1,000 people.

"We experience an exceptional situation that hit many areas of our lives," EBEL league manager Christian Feichtinger said. "Even though the decision hurts, we saw it as our responsibility to make our contribution to return to normality as soon as possible. The decision to cancel the championship was taken together by the league board and the club representatives. A continuation of the championship in front of empty stands would not have been an option for us because our sport lives from emotions and the sensational atmosphere in the arenas."

The EBEL features eight teams from Austria and one from each of the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Italy - one of the countries worst affected by the outbreak.

Several other European leagues remain in action, but smaller ones in Poland, Slovakia, and Asia have also shut down.

The NHL is monitoring the situation as well. The San Jose Sharks face the prospect of playing in an empty arena when they return from their current road trip, while the league and the Columbus Blue Jackets decided to proceed with normal arena operations despite the recommendation of Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine for all sporting events to be played without spectators.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs won't have their scouts fly to games as the coronavirus continues to proliferate, reports Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

The club prohibited its European-based scouts from using air travel during the initial phase of the outbreak but has since broadened that ban to include amateur and pro scouts in North America. Some of the Maple Leafs' 25 scouts have reportedly continued to attend games by driving.

Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens confirmed similar precautions.

"At this time, we have asked our scouts to stop flying, stay in their own countries, and/or avoid traveling to countries listed as 'at risk' by the World Health Organization," a Canadiens spokesperson told Sportsnet's Eric Engels before adding, "We are re-evaluating the situation on a daily basis."

Although the NHL hasn't issued a directive to all 31 teams, deputy commissioner Bill Daly said clubs have been instructed to "use their best judgment and to consider implementing policies that restrict non-essential travel."

The league has already taken several steps to combat the spread of the virus, including urging players to limit contact with fans and restricting dressing room access in a joint effort with the NBA, MLB, and MLS.

The Columbus Blue Jackets will continue to play games in front of fans despite a state-wide recommendation from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to conduct sporting events without spectators.

California's Santa Clara County has issued a mandatory three-week ban on all large gatherings beginning Wednesday. The San Jose Sharks don't play at home again until March 19 and have not officially announced their plans for that contest against the Montreal Canadiens.

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A disappointing 1-3 record on Tuesday night brought an end to our lengthy winning run, but I'm hardly concerned.

We're right back at it Wednesday.

GOATs and scapegoats

Hats off to Montreal Canadiens forward Lukas Vejdemo, who scored his first NHL goal last night in the third period to cash the over at the Bell Centre. He was sent back down to the AHL after the game, but his efforts were greatly appreciated.

Elsewhere, we were undone by a pair of goalies for very different reasons Tuesday. Tuukka Rask made 36 saves to shut out the Philadelphia Flyers, who deserved a better fate against the Boston Bruins, while Marcus Hogberg was an absolute sieve out west. He allowed five goals on eight shots, completely negating a dominant display from the Senators, and Ottawa lost despite outshooting the Anaheim Ducks 42-15.

Wednesday bets

Winnipeg Jets (+120)

Desperation looks good on the Winnipeg Jets. With a playoff spot looking increasingly unlikely toward the end of February if they didn't pull it together, the Jets have found a real urgency and it has paid dividends. They've won three in a row and four of their last five to pull back into the thick of the wild-card race.

The Edmonton Oilers are playing some decent hockey as well, but have struggled with inconsistency and are just 5-6 straight up over the past three weeks. They narrowly beat the Jets 3-2 in Edmonton at the end of February but lost three in a row at home to Winnipeg before that. Considering the recent play of the Jets, and of Connor Hellebuyck, they offer excellent value at +120.

Best bet

Chicago Blackhawks 3-way moneyline (-105)

The Blackhawks had a couple of days off to stew over a frustrating weekend and now find themselves in a prime bounce-back spot against the San Jose Sharks. Chicago won five of its last six home games against Western Conference teams, losing only to the St. Louis Blues, and has had success at the United Center this season against teams below it in the standings.

The Sharks have lost four in a row on the road and scored two goals or fewer in their last five away from San Jose. They've typically struggled in Chicago as well, scoring two goals or fewer in eight of their last 12 games there. The Blackhawks should be able to comfortably take care of business in this one, but instead of laying -160 on the moneyline, we'll take them at close to even money to win in regulation.

Trend of the night

The New York Rangers have won 10 of their last 11 games on the road.

They're also 6-2 on the road when playing on no rest, with those two losses coming against the Flyers. The Colorado Avalanche have just entered a mini-slump as well, losing three of their last four following a seven-game winning streak. The Rangers can be had at +150 tonight.

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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