For Wild, coronavirus-related changes are relatively minor – so far

The bottles of hand sanitizer inside Tria Rink weren't the only sign Wednesday the Wild is taking precautions to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Continuing a switch made last weekend while it was on the road in Los Angeles and Anaheim, the team closed its locker room to media as it returned to practice.

Instead of meeting with the media in the locker room after exiting the ice, a few players diverted to an adjacent room to chat behind a podium.

Hours later, hints of bigger change spread across the NHL. Late Wednesday, the league released a statement saying the NHL "is aware of the NBA's decision tonight to indefinitely suspend its season due to a player testing positive for the coronavirus. The NHL is continuing to consult with medical experts and is evaluating the options. We expect to have a further update tomorrow."

The Wild has 13 games remaining and is in hot pursuit of a playoff spot. Whether it can continue that chase, or is forced into "suspended play" mode, is to be determined.

Earlier Wednesday, even the small changes of media and locker room access had grabbed the team's attention.

"It's hard to not see it," interim coach Dean Evason said. "Whenever you turn the TV on, radio, newspaper, whatever, you see it. So, yeah, it's a scary thing. We're just going to follow protocol and whatever is asked of us."

If games do continue, fans won't be allowed on the team's bench during warmups and the fist-bump line near the locker room has stopped. The pregame jersey handoff for season-ticket members will continue, but a player will sign his jersey ahead of time and a team employee will pass it along. Players are also being instructed to avoid handshakes and high-fives. They're also being asked to not take items like markers and jerseys from fans to sign autographs and to stop participating in public events such as visits to hospitals or nursing homes.