HALIFAX -- A Maritime Junior Hockey League team based in Edmundston, New Brunswick has ended their season early, due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in the region.

On Thursday, the Edmundston Blizzard announced they will be ending their 2020-21 season before the start of the Maritime Junior Hockey League playoffs.

The team hasn’t been able to practice or play games since March 25, when New Brunswick’s Zone 4, which includes the city of Edmundston and the upper Madawaska region, entered the red phase of the province’s COVID-19 recovery plan.

As of Wednesday, 131 of New Brunswick’s 163 active COVID-19 cases are located in the Edmundston region.

"To the players and staff of the Edmundston Blizzard, we thank each and every one of you for your commitment to the 2020-21 season and the sacrifices made to reach this point," says MHL President Steve Dykeman. "It has not been an easy season for anyone involved. The MHL will continue to support the Edmundston Blizzard organization, as it has all twelve of its member teams, in the weeks and months ahead."

Edmundston last played on March 21st, their seventh game of the month following a restart of the Eastlink North division. In 19 games, the Blizzard were 10-7-0-2.

The team says they will continue to be a full member of the league and prepare for the 2021-22 season and the MHL Entry Draft.

With this announcement, Edmundston's remaining game on the schedule, April 14 in Miramichi, has been cancelled.

The league says they are reevaluating the playoff structure for the Eastlink North Division and any changes will be communicated as soon as possible.