The American Hockey League, the NHL's top minor league affiliate, has canceled the remainder of its season due to the coronavirus pandemic, marking the first time since the AHL was formed in 1936 that the Calder Cup will not be awarded.
The state of play: Playing games without fans was never going to be an option for AHL teams, which rely heavily on gate revenue, so this announcement was inevitable.
City Football Group has purchased second-division Belgian soccer team Lommel SK, adding a ninth club to its worldwide portfolio.
Why it matters: CFG is run by the Abu Dhabi royal family and was recently valued at $4.8 billion, making it the second most valuable enterprise in all of sports behind the Dallas Cowboys.
The 2020 MLB draft will total just five rounds, making it the smallest draft in league history.
Why it matters: Cutting the draft from 40 rounds down to five means just 150 amateurs will be selected instead of the customary 1,200, dramatically decreasing the newest crop of pros and causing a ripple effect through all levels of baseball.
MLB owners approved a proposal to send to the league's players' union that would start this year's baseball season without fans around the Fourth of July, AP reports.
Details: Under the plan, spring training would start in early to mid-June. Teams would then play roughy 82 regular-season games, mostly against teams in their own division. The playoffs would be expanded from 10 teams to 14 by doubling the number of wild cards in each league.
When you hear "youth sports," colorful images of orange slices and vivid memories of pizza parties might fill your head. Perhaps then your mind shifts to some of the recent trends: skyrocketing costs, participation declines, the rise of specialization and the world of pay-to-play leagues and mega-complexes.
The state of play: The professionalization of youth sports has created a world of private coaching and inter-state travel with families willing — and able — to spend as much as $20,000 per year on youth sports.
