It certainly wasn't going to be ideal, but it was a necessary compromise. On Wednesday, the Sharks announced that when they returned from their four-game road trip, they planned to play the remainder of their March home games at SAP Center in front of no fans.
24 hours later, it turns out those games won't be played at all, or at least not for a while.
The NHL announced Thursday that the 2019-20 season has been indefinitely paused due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The league ultimately had very little choice after its hand was forced by the NBA choosing to do the same Wednesday night, after two Utah Jazz players tested positive for the coronavirus.