Calgary Flames alternate governor and former CEO Ken King died at the age of 68, the team announced Thursday.

King, who previously served as president and CEO of Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation, lost a lengthy battle with cancer, according to Sportsnet's Eric Francis.

"Ken was the right leader at the right time for CSEC," said CSEC chairman and co-owner Murray Edwards. "His leadership and passion was exhibited every day in his successful delivery of the new Calgary event centre. He was a trusted confidant to all of the Flames owners, both past and present, and we all learned so much from him. My partners and I will miss our frequent conversations with our dear friend."

King joined the Flames as president and CEO in the spring of 2001 and played a large role in growing the sports company, which also owns the WHL's Calgary Hitmen, AHL's Stockton Heat, and NLL's Calgary Roughnecks, and holds a controlling interest in the CFL's Calgary Stampeders.

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USA Hockey has canceled its upcoming national championships and disabled festival amid fears over the coronavirus outbreak.

"Safety of our participants has always been our top priority and with the current coronavirus situation, our executive committee unanimously decided to cancel the national championship and disabled festival," USA Hockey president Jim Smith said in a statement Wednesday.

The series of national championship events include high school, youth, girls, adult, and sled that were set to begin in various locations across the country on March 26, according to the Courier-Post's Dave Isaac.

The National Hockey League said in a statement Wednesday that it will continue to consult with medical professionals while evaluating its options.

Several other top-level competitions, including professional hockey leagues in Germany (DEL) and Austria (EBEL), have canceled the remainder of their campaigns due to the outbreak of the virus in Europe.

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The NHL is consulting with medical experts and evaluating its options after the NBA suspended its season amid the coronavirus outbreak, the league said in a statement Wednesday.

A further update will be provided Thursday.

The NBA season was suspended indefinitely Wednesday after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.

The NHLPA released a statement saying it's in continuous contact with the NHL regarding the coronavirus and the NBA's announcement and will consult with players before commenting further.

Eleven NHL teams share a venue with an NBA club that plays out of the same city.

Both the San Jose Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets already announced that their home games will be closed to the public for the foreseeable future.

The league closed all locker rooms to media over the weekend.

Several other competitions, including top-level professional hockey leagues in Germany (DEL) and Austria (EBEL) have canceled the remainder of their seasons due to the outbreak of the virus in Europe.

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Vancouver Canucks defenseman Chris Tanev is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury, the team announced Wednesday.

Tanev, 30, suffered the injury during Tuesday's 5-4 shootout victory over the New York Islanders. He played just four shifts during the third period and did not appear in overtime.

The 6-foot-2 rearguard ranks second on the club in blocked shots (159) and has recorded 20 points through 69 games this season.

Vancouver has lost five of its last seven games and sits tied for the final Western Conference wild-card berth entering Wednesday's action.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs activated defenseman Cody Ceci off injured reserve, the team announced Friday.

Ceci, 26, has missed the club's last 14 games after suffering an ankle injury Feb. 5 against the New York Rangers.

The 6-foot-2 rearguard has registered eight points while logging 20:38 of average ice time through 54 games this season.

Toronto is also expecting to get blue-chip rearguard Morgan Rielly back in the near future, while Jake Muzzin remains out with a broken hand.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs activated defenseman Cody Ceci off injured reserve, the team announced Friday.

Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe revealed shortly thereafter that Ceci will be in the lineup for Friday's game against the Anaheim Ducks, according to TSN's Mark Masters.

The 26-year-old missed the club's previous 14 games after suffering an ankle injury Feb. 5 against the New York Rangers.

Ceci entered Friday's game having registered eight points while logging 20:38 of average ice time through 54 games this season. The 6-foot-2 rearguard also plays a vital role on the penalty kill, leading the team with 2:49 of shorthanded ice time per game coming into the contest against the Ducks.

Toronto is also expecting to get blue-chip rearguard Morgan Rielly back in the near future, while Jake Muzzin remains out with a broken hand.

The Maple Leafs loaned defenseman Timothy Liljegren to the AHL's Toronto Marlies in a corresponding move Friday night.

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Winnipeg Jets forward Mathieu Perreault will return to the lineup against the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday, head coach Paul Maurice confirmed, according to the Winnipeg Sun's Scott Billeck.

Perreault, 32, missed the team's last 16 games after exiting with an upper-body injury against the Boston Bruins on Jan. 31.

The veteran winger has contributed six goals and 14 points in 46 contests this season, his sixth with the Jets.

Winnipeg has won just twice in its last six outings but remains in the thick of the tightly contested Western Conference playoff race.

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Minnesota Wild forward Eric Staal won't join the club on its upcoming road trip due to a death in his family, the team announced Thursday.

The Wild begin a three-game stint in California against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday before playing the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday and the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.

Staal, 35, ranks second on the Wild in points (47) and third in goals (19) through 66 games this season. The veteran pivot tallied five points over his previous five contests.

Minnesota has won six of its last eight outings and sits one point shy of a Western Conference wild-card berth entering Thursday's action.

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Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said Tuesday that goaltenders Petr Mrazek and James Reimer will be sidelined for at least one more week, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen.

Mrazek, who's out with a concussion, is 7-10 days from returning, and Reimer is expected back shortly after that as he continues to recover from a lower-body injury.

"Both making progress," Waddell said. "Mrazek is ahead of Reimer. He's starting to go on the ice and probably will start to see pucks in the next day or so. By the weekend, (Reimer) will be on the ice we believe and from there it's just how fast he progresses."

The Hurricanes lost both goalies during a 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 22. Emergency backup goaltender David Ayres entered the game, making eight saves to seal the victory.

Carolina continues its six-game road trip against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, and the Hurricanes are slated to play five times before March 13, which is the end of Mrazek's recovery timeline.

The club has yet to record a win (0-2-1) without its two primary puck-stoppers available to start the game. Netminders Alex Nedeljkovic and Anton Forsberg, who were recalled from the Hurricanes' AHL affiliate, have combined for a .874 save percentage over three losses.

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Edmonton Oilers forward James Neal will return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Dallas Stars, head coach Dave Tippett confirmed, according to The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman.

Neal, 32, has missed the club's last 16 games after suffering a foot injury on Jan. 29.

The 6-foot-3 winger potted 11 goals in his first 14 outings to start the season, but he's found the net just eight times in 36 games since. Neal needs just one more tally to cement his 11th career 20-goal campaign.

Edmonton acquired Neal from the Calgary Flames for forward Milan Lucic in July. The Ontario native has three years left on his current deal beyond this season, which carries an annual cap hit of $5.75 million.

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