Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to resume Thursday

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League will resume activities Thursday following a weeks-long break because of COVID-19 complications.

The league said Friday that it plans to complete a full 68-game regular-season campaign, and that an adjusted schedule will be released Monday. It said capacity restrictions rinks will be determined by each province’s public health guidelines. The playoff format will be announced at a later date, but will start no later than May 5 and conclude no later than June 15.

The QMJHL has been on hiatus since Dec. 18. The league originally planned to restart Jan. 17, but changed its plans because there was no clear timeline of easing COVID-19 restrictions, particularly in Quebec where most of the teams are based.

The QMJHL is one of three major junior hockey leagues under the Canadian Hockey League umbrella. The others — the Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League — both returned to play as scheduled in late December following a holiday break. However, several games in both leagues have been postponed or rescheduled.