Bulls, Blackhawks To Pay Staff During Coronavirus Shutdown

CHICAGO, IL — Despite the shutdown of the NBA and NHL seasons amid the coronavirus outbreak, employees at the United Center will continue to be paid, the owners of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks announced Saturday.

Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf issued a joint statement saying the teams "will pay day-of-game employees through the remainder of the originally scheduled season. Our employees, whether they be front office staff, or our approximately 1,200 day-of-game staff, are family, and we will navigate this unprecedented situation together."

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The NBA halted the 2020 season Wednesday after the first player tested positive for coronavirus, and Major League Baseball followed suit, delaying opening day by two weeks and canceling spring training games as of Thursday afternoon. The NHL also announced it was suspending its season.

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