2020 Stanley Cup -- Tainted or Legit?

[Pookie]

As this thing goes, are we going to be allowed to discuss injury reports or is that now considered confidential?

Imagine... reporting on things like viruses.

Warning: the following articles reference actual players names who contracted viruses in years past.

Flu bug bites Sabres

NHL is monitoring flu's progression as third player diagnosed with H1N1

Lightning's Callahan to miss Game 2 with flu

Flu bug wreaking havoc on Islanders locker room

 

[Nineteen67]

Boy are you going to be disappointed when you dont see an * in the record/history books.

They don’t use asterisk, but everyone will refer to it as the * Cup. I suppose even the few that actually watch it.

 

[Nineteen67]

As this thing goes, are we going to be allowed to discuss injury reports or is that now considered confidential?

Imagine... reporting on things like viruses.

Warning: the following articles reference actual players names who contracted viruses in years past.

Flu bug bites Sabres

NHL is monitoring flu's progression as third player diagnosed with H1N1

Lightning's Callahan to miss Game 2 with flu

Flu bug wreaking havoc on Islanders locker room

why not? As long as the teams confirm the illness like they did in your examples.

 

[robertmac43]

I suppose even the few that actually watch it.

There will be a ton of people watching that, don't get this talk of a 'few'.

 

[Metroid]

They don’t use asterisk, but everyone will refer to it as the * Cup. I suppose even the few that actually watch it.

I'm gonna watch. It's hockey. I love hockey, why wouldn't I watch it?

 

[Pookie]

why not? As long as the teams confirm the illness like they did in your examples.

I guess it was a question to all those that highlighted “privacy” in the Matthews COVID discussions of recent fame.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Tainted if our team doesn't win it, legit if they do.

(Probably most fans everywhere else feel the same way.)

Except Senators' fans, whose response is: "what's a Stanley Cup?"

 

[Nineteen67]

There will be a ton of people watching that, don't get this talk of a 'few'.

NFL , College, MLB. = very few eyes in the US.
Granted, I expect at least 1 Canadian team in final, and likely 2, to help out Sportsnet.

 

[Nineteen67]

I guess it was a question to all those that highlighted “privacy” in the Matthews COVID discussions of recent fame.

But, Matthews, his agent, nor the team consented. If the Leafs had released the information, no one would have cared.

 

[Nineteen67]

I'm gonna watch. It's hockey. I love hockey, why wouldn't I watch it?

There were informal polls last year where something like 80% of Leafs fans would not watch the playoffs after the Leafs were eliminated. The Sportsnet ratings and staff cuts seem to suggest there is some truth to that.
If there are no Canadian teams in the semis then this could be a disaster.
In the US Hockey is regional at best and going head to head against the NFL, college and MLB is not a recipe for success. Which is why the NHL should have been on the ball and ready to start shortly after the 4th and taken advantage of the whole months of July and August.

I’ll watch at the beginning but if a team like Vancouver or Montreal make the *CF, I’ll no interest in that.

 

[deletethis]

The 2019 NHL playoffs took almost exactly 2 months. The 2020 NHL playoffs are going to take almost as long with the extra play-in round. That would mean that starting up in mid-July would see a Stanley Cup Finals in mid September almost intersecting with the traditional start of training camps.

 

[Mess]

This will forever be considered the Covid-19 Stanley Cup.

I could say Toronto could be the 1st team to hoist a Cup during a Pandemic, but that wouldn't be true.

The NHL was founded in 1917 & the last time there was a World Wide Pandemic was 1918, when the Spanish Flu began circling the globe.

In 1917-18 season the Toronto Arenas defeated Vancouver Millionaires in a best of 5 series winning 3 games to 2 to hoist the Stanley Cup amid that medical crisis.

By the time the 1918–19 season rolled around it was the Montreal Canadiens who faced the Seattle Metropolitans for the Stanley Cup amid the Spanish influenza epidemic. However that series was called off after five games with the series tied 2 games a piece, when numerous players became ill, and one, player Joe Hall of the Canadiens, died a few weeks later. The Spanish influenza (lasting February 1918 to April 1920) marked the first time the Stanley Cup was not awarded.

The Toronto Arenas were founded in 1917, but then under new ownership it was renamed the Toronto St. Patricks in 1919, and then in 1927, the club was purchased by Conn Smythe and renamed the Maple Leafs. So the Toronto Arenas are the originating team of the Maple Leafs

So if Toronto wins this year's Stanley Cup, it will in fact be the 2nd time in NHL history a team based out of Toronto hoisted the Cup, and then we can claim we're the only NHL team that is able to prevail during a pandemic despite its impact, and not let it disrupt our success.

Covid-19 another world wide disease could however for the 2nd time prevent the awarding of the Stanley Cup if history repeats itself, and this NHL season is not completed to award a winner.

Thus concludes the history lesson for today

 

[Nineteen67]

The 2019 NHL playoffs took almost exactly 2 months. The 2020 NHL playoffs are going to take almost as long with the extra play-in round. That would mean that starting up in mid-July would see a Stanley Cup Finals in mid September almost intersecting with the traditional start of training camps.

Why didn’t they do that? Training camps could be going on now with the play in games start next weekend. How awesome would that be?

 

[Metroid]

There were informal polls last year where something like 80% of Leafs fans would not watch the playoffs after the Leafs were eliminated. The Sportsnet ratings and staff cuts seem to suggest there is some truth to that.
If there are no Canadian teams in the semis then this could be a disaster.
In the US Hockey is regional at best and going head to head against the NFL, college and MLB is not a recipe for success. Which is why the NHL should have been on the ball and ready to start shortly after the 4th and taken advantage of the whole months of July and August.

I’ll watch at the beginning but if a team like Vancouver or Montreal make the *CF, I’ll no interest in that.

I'll still watch lol
Oh well.
Mind you, if it gets cancelled due to covid break outs I'll understand and wontbe pissed, I'll understand.

 

[kliq]

Depends on how it plays out. For example, lets say the Leafs get to the finals against Nashville, and then the day before game 1 Matthews, Marner, and Reilly all test positive for covid-19 and Nashville wins in 4, I dont think anyone looks at that finals as legit. If everyone stays healthy covid-19 wise, I think for the most part it will be legit, but in some fans eyes it will always have an asterisk.

 

[Brown Dog]

This will forever be considered the Covid-19 Stanley Cup.

I could say Toronto could be the 1st team to hoist a Cup during a Pandemic, but that wouldn't be true.

The NHL was founded in 1917 & the last time there was a World Wide Pandemic was 1918, when the Spanish Flu began circling the globe.

In 1917-18 season the Toronto Arenas defeated Vancouver Millionaires in a best of 5 series winning 3 games to 2 to hoist the Stanley Cup amid that medical crisis.

By the time the 1918–19 season rolled around it was the Montreal Canadiens who faced the Seattle Metropolitans for the Stanley Cup amid the Spanish influenza epidemic. However that series was called off after five games with the series tied 2 games a piece, when numerous players became ill, and one, player Joe Hall of the Canadiens, died a few weeks later. The Spanish influenza (lasting February 1918 to April 1920) marked the first time the Stanley Cup was not awarded.

The Toronto Arenas were founded in 1917, but then under new ownership it was renamed the Toronto St. Patricks in 1919, and then in 1927, the club was purchased by Conn Smythe and renamed the Maple Leafs. So the Toronto Arenas are the originating team of the Maple Leafs

So if Toronto wins this year's Stanley Cup, it will in fact be the 2nd time in NHL history a team based out of Toronto hoisted the Cup, and then we can claim we're the only NHL team that is able to prevail during a pandemic despite its impact, and not let it disrupt our success.

Covid-19 another world wide disease could however for the 2nd time prevent the awarding of the Stanley Cup if history repeats itself, and this NHL season is not completed to award a winner.

Thus concludes the history lesson for today

So maybe it turns out all we need is a pandemic to be successful?

Maybe Harold Ballard realized this. Would explain a lot of his behaviour!

 

[Daisy Jane]

No one calls the cup the hawks won in the lock out year asterisked and it is a part of the legacy they cultivated, so no no matter who won this year it wouldn't be tainted. the end.

 

[DarkKnight]

It might be fun and all, but come on it’s tainted. Like having playoffs right out of training camp, guys aren’t at the top of their games, will be loose, disjointed, people finding rhythms and it will all be on the line. Then factor in the bizarre atmosphere within the games and I’m hard pressed to really attach any standard meaning to the whole affair.

League is trying to salvage some revenue, but anyone fooling themselves this will look anything like a normal Stanley Cup “winner”, I just don’t see it at all. Novelty, distraction, love of the game perhaps, legit, meh.

 

[AcerComputer]

There are still 4 playoff rounds to win the cup. The only difference is that the teams that were on the bubble or likely going to make the playoffs have to participate in a "play in round". If a team like Montreal, Arizona, or Chicago win, then you could probably make that argument, since they would not have made the playoffs without the modified format.

 

[TheTotalPackage]

The Cup is going to be awarded 7 months after the stoppage. It’s an entirely different season. The regular season pretty much meant nothing (teams in that shouldn’t be; President’s Choice winner after 70 games now possibly being the 4th seed after 3 games). It’s a summer tournament that is completely disjointed and separate from the season. The 16 (19) wins will be there — but it’s just not fluid. There will be a hint of taint, for sure.

 

[moon111]

If something like Matthews can't play because of Covid-19, yeah it gets the big asterisk for sure. But I think this can be a competitive run well deserving of a team being declared the champ. Honestly think the winner will be much more deserving then say Montreal in `93. While the rest went to war, who did they face off against? Quebec, Buffalo, NY Isles (okay admittingly they did have Bill Berg), and then a L.A.Kings that just went through war with the Leafs. Softest run to the Cup I've ever witnessed and would not declare them the best of the best that year.

 

[GoonieFace]

No one calls the cup the hawks won in the lock out year asterisked and it is a part of the legacy they cultivated, so no no matter who won this year it wouldn't be tainted. the end.

Difference is the lockout delayed the start of the season. They still played a regular season (abbreviated) and went into the playoffs. This year, they halted the season, took 4 months off and than jump right into the playoffs during a health crisis. Its tainted, the fact they are even trying to play is a joke.

 

[ACC1224]

If something like Matthews can't play because of Covid-19, yeah it gets the big asterisk for sure. But I think this can be a competitive run well deserving of a team being declared the champ. Honestly think the winner will be much more deserving then say Montreal in `93. While the rest went to war, who did they face off against? Quebec, Buffalo, NY Isles (okay admittingly they did have Bill Berg), and then a L.A.Kings that just went through war with the Leafs. Softest run to the Cup I've ever witnessed and would not declare them the best of the best that year.

To me it's no different than any top player getting hurt and having to miss.
IMO, if all Teams are playing under the same rules it's legit. I don't see any Team having an unfair advantage over another.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Depends on how it plays out. For example, lets say the Leafs get to the finals against Nashville, and then the day before game 1 Matthews, Marner, and Reilly all test positive for covid-19 and Nashville wins in 4, I dont think anyone looks at that finals as legit. If everyone stays healthy covid-19 wise, I think for the most part it will be legit, but in some fans eyes it will always have an asterisk.

This.

No one calls the cup the hawks won in the lock out year asterisked and it is a part of the legacy they cultivated, so no no matter who won this year it wouldn't be tainted. the end.

Too simplistic IMO. See the above post.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

To me it's no different than any top player getting hurt and having to miss.
IMO, if all Teams are playing under the same rules it's legit. I don't see any Team having an unfair advantage over another.

I am very curious to see COVID rules ... I am sure they will rule out a COVID guy who tests positive but it will be a gong show on that front as these tests are giving way way too many false negatives when people have it ... absolute guaranteed guys will play with COVID because they test negative ... so it will have to be a temp test, a COVID test and a antibody test all showing same result ... my sister in law just had tests done in CT and she had a positive and a negative and then a positive and then a negative over past week due to some elective surgery she needed which was just cancelled by hospital because they told her they really don't know for sure ... and she has ZERO symptoms ... da testing is a complete joke