Jokerit withdraws from KHL playoffs

The KHL hasn't suspended play due to the coronavirus pandemic, but one of its best teams is taking matters into its own hands.

Jokerit Helsinki pulled out of the ongoing Gagarin Cup playoffs, the club announced Saturday, citing Finnish government guidelines put in place to help stop the spread of the virus.

The club was on the verge of facing SKA St. Petersburg in the second round of the postseason beginning Tuesday, but decided not to travel there and withdrew from the playoffs after "long talks held between club leadership, doctors and players."

"These are exceptional times and they call for exceptional measures," Jokerit chairman and hockey legend Jari Kurri said. "The well-being and health of the people and our society is paramount and Jokerit wants to shoulder its responsibility in the matter."

Kurri added that it was a "very difficult but necessary decision."

The KHL is one of the few remaining sports leagues that continues to play amid the outbreak. The league is primarily based in Russia, where the capital city of Moscow has banned gatherings of at least 5,000 people. However, both CSKA and Dynamo Moscow have played on, advancing to a second-round matchup against each other.