Hockey Hall of Fame postpones induction ceremony due to COVID-19

The 2020 Hockey Hall of Fame induction weekend is postponed until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hall announced Monday.

The induction ceremony, originally scheduled for Nov. 16, was set to follow the rest of the weekend's festivities, including the annual Hall of Fame Game hosted by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Hall's board of directors plans to discuss rescheduling the induction events when it convenes on Oct. 29. The most probable scenario, according to chairman Lanny McDonald, is delaying the 2020 events until November of the following year.

"While it's possible, the class of 2020 could be inducted on alternative dates during the modified 2020-21 NHL season, the most likely scenario is to postpone to November 2021, either by waiving the 2021 elections or in combination with the 2021 induction class involving adjusted category limits," McDonald said.

"Since the magic of the induction from the honored members' perspective is experiencing several days of close interaction with family, friends, former teammates, and fans, the board ruled out any means of holding the 2020 inductions virtually," he added.

Jarome Iginla, Marian Hossa, Ken Holland, Kevin Lowe, Kim St-Pierre, and Doug Wilson were elected to the Hall in the class of 2020 in late June.