Finnish Ice Hockey getting a virtual finale to season

Ice Hockey is one of the national sports of Finland, and it's popular in plenty of places further afield, too. The national pro league has been hit by the effects of COVID-19 just like any other and the Liiga - the top-tier of Finnish Ice Hockey - will now conclude with a knockout esports tournament.

Fans have been calling for a virtual, more entertaining finish to the Liiga and now, each team that was due to make the playoffs will elect a representative - either a player from their team, a pro esports player or even a celebrity - to battle it out for the Liiga title.

The elects will be playing each other on NHL 20. Another hugely popular game by EA Sports. What's more, the remainder of the Liiga season will be broadcast live on the Finnish esports channel, Telia, with commentary and all the trimmings. This move complements a huge spike in esports popularity over the past few weeks, as the coronavirus outbreak continues to threaten our normal way of life.

Thanks, Springwise.