Amid COVID-19 outbreaks in the sporting world and nationwide, the National Hockey League announced Monday night that it would pause its season early.The league’s holiday break will commence Wednesday, two days earlier than the originally scheduled break from Friday to Sunday, it said in a news release.The season will resume Dec. 27 as planned, and players are expected to report back to team facilities Sunday and resume daily testing.The five games scheduled on Thursday have been postponed. The news caps off a fraught week for the league. Nearly a dozen teams had paused operations and the NHL had already suspended all games involving travel between Canada and the U.S., ESPN reported. More than 15% of players across the league were reportedly under virus protocols Monday night.The NHL had also tightened its testing requirements this week, including daily testing and restrictions on where players can travel when not at work or home.