KHL suspends playoffs until April 10

Less than a full day after opting for a brief postponement of the Gagarin Cup playoffs, the KHL is delaying them even further.

In an effort to combat the spread of the coronavirus, the league suspended its postseason until April 10 on Tuesday.

The move follows Monday's decision to delay it for one week in order to reschedule and tweak the format for the six remaining clubs after two teams withdrew amid concerns over the outbreak.

Jokerit Helsinki pulled out Saturday, citing Finnish government guidelines, and Kazakhstan-based squad Barys Nur-Sultan followed suit two days later.

The KHL said Tuesday's decision was made in accordance with the recommendations of Russia's Ministry of Sport and other regional authorities.

On Monday, the Russian government banned the entry of foreign nationals and stateless people from March 18 until May 1.

Last Tuesday, the city of Moscow prohibited gatherings of 5,000 people or more until April 10. In the wake of that order, the KHL clubs based in Russia's capital began playing games without fans present.