Senators game postponed after Ottawa shootings

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The National Hockey League postponed Wednesday's game between the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs after shootings on Parliament Hill plunged the Canadian capital into chaos. Ottawa were scheduled to host the Maple Leafs at their home arena, about 25 km (15.5 miles) from the country's parliament buildings, at 8:00 p.m. EDT. A suspected gunman was shot dead in the parliament building on Wednesday, minutes after a soldier on guard at the National War Memorial was shot and fatally wounded. "The National Hockey League wishes to express its sympathy and prayers to all affected by the tragic events in Ottawa," the league, said in a statement. The date and time of the rescheduled game will be announced at a later date, according to the NHL. The Maple Leafs were put under lockdown at their downtown Ottawa hotel as police searched for more suspects near the war memorial in central Ottawa, and on nearby Parliament Hill. "Surreal scene outside of our hotel right now. Lot of very brave police officers we should all be very proud of," Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul said on Twitter. As the drama unfolded, police in dark bulletproof vests and carrying automatic rifles flooded the streets near parliament. Some took cover behind vehicles and shouted to people to clear the area, saying: "We do not have the suspect in custody. You are in danger here." Senators forward Colin Greening, who went through a similar event as the visiting team following last year's Boston Marathon bombings, said the team learned about the shootings during their morning skate through an assistant coach. "It's surreal. You never really expect it," Greening told reporters. "A lot of times you're reading about this and seeing it on ... CNN and Fox News and things like that and then once it happens in a city that you live in it's pretty crazy. Support for the NHL's decision to postpone the game poured in from many of the league's teams and players. "We are shocked and deeply saddened by today’s tragic events on Parliament Hill and in downtown Ottawa," Senators owner Eugene Melnyk said in a statement. "Hockey is certainly secondary to these types of tragic events and we know our fans stand alongside us with the league’s decision to postpone tonight’s game." His sentiments were echoed by the Maple Leafs. "The club supports the National Hockey League’s decision to postpone tonight’s scheduled meeting with the Ottawa Senators," the team said. "We have been witness today to some terrible events but are thankful to those brave men and women for their tireless service in protecting everyone’s safety." The Senators' next game is scheduled to be played at home against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. (Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto; Editing by Frank Pingue)