NHL officially postpones Thursday, Friday playoff games amid athlete protests

As both the NBA and WNBA remain idle amid athlete strikes in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake, the NHL and NHL Players' Association jointly agreed to push Thursday and Friday Stanley Cup Playoff games back. 

Earlier in the day, ESPN's Emily Kaplan first reported that at least Thursday's action would be postponed. 

In a statement, the NHL and NHLPA announced: 

"After much discussion, NHL Players believe that the best course of action would be to take a step back and not play tonight’s and tomorrow’s games as scheduled. The NHL supports the Players’ decision and will reschedule those four games beginning Saturday and adjust the remainder of the Second Round schedule accordingly.

"Black and Brown communities continue to face real, painful experiences. The NHL and NHLPA recognize that much work remains to be done before we can play an appropriate role in a discussion centered on diversity, inclusion, and social justice.

"We understand that the tragedies involving Jacob Blake, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others require us to recognize this moment. We pledge to work to use our sport to influence positive change in society.

"The NHLPA and NHL are committed to working to foster more inclusive and welcoming environments within our arenas, offices, and beyond."

The NBA temporarily paused the playoffs on Wednesday after the Milwaukee Bucks refused to leave their locker room for a Game 5 showdown versus the Orlando Magic. Subsequently, the WNBA also postponed Wednesday and Thursday contests. 

A majority of Wednesday Major League Soccer matches were called off, as were handfuls of MLB games on Wednesday and Thursday.