Boston Bruins 2020 Training Camp - Phase III - Training Camp at Warrior

[Smitty93]

Hmmmmm.... we could make Vancouver home ice somehow.

It just feels like such a terrible idea to pick a U.S. location. If they really want to pull this off, two hub cities in Canada is the best option. Of the cities under consideration, I'd pick Vancouver and Edmonton. As @talkinaway said, you've got better timing options with Western Conference cities.

Having seen some of the casino videos this week, I don't see how the NHL could possibly think it's a good idea to go to Vegas.

 

[ODAAT]

I don't expect it to happen. If it does, I'll certainly watch, but my guess is it won't end well.

If they start up and then have to shut down because of the virus.....I dunno....that'll be tough

with you there.

 

[Estlin]

like it or not, money « is » important. That’s why the economy is opening up with some health directives even if the virus is still there.

NHLers will also be tested daily. Are the workers around the world having the same privilege? Aren’t they also putting their lives at risk? But with no test to know if their co-workers are infected?

Players signed in for the return. They could have chose otherwise. At that point, no need to whine about risk and all. They made a decision and I, for one, will be very happy to watch playoffs hockey in August.

You should read the post by @sooshii one above yours. A significant number of players are ambivalent about returning and quite worried about the risks that are being run. "Guys are not happy," as one player said. That doesn't sound like players are "signed in for the return," as you wrote.

I also don't care for your insinuating that my post is whining. I am very concerned about COVID-19. I live in NYC, and this city has been through a lot while combating it. My girlfriend's dad and some of her friends also contracted the virus, so it's hit home for me personally. The number of cases is rising, not only in several parts of the USA, but also in other parts of the world. We are far from beating coronavirus. Why, then, take a huge risk in trying to bring back professional sports when it's far more likely that doing so will result in more people becoming infected? As we've seen, several players and staff have already contracted COVID-19 during these early stage of the return of the NHL.

Good for you if you say that you'll be happy watching this summer tournament – should it ever come to fruition. (I won't call it the Stanley Cup playoffs, and whichever team wins should have an asterisk next to its "victory".) I don't plan to watch because watching NHL games is so far down on my list of priorities right now.

 

[EvilDead]

I'm so pumped.

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

You should read the post by @sooshii one above yours. A significant number of players are ambivalent about returning and quite worried about the risks that are being run. "Guys are not happy," as one player said. That doesn't sound like players are "signed in for the return," as you wrote.

I also don't care for your insinuating that my post is whining. I am very concerned about COVID-19. I live in NYC, and this city has been through a lot while combating it. My girlfriend's dad and some of her friends also contracted the virus, so it's hit home for me personally. The number of cases is rising, not only in several parts of the USA, but also in other parts of the world. We are far from beating coronavirus. Why, then, take a huge risk in trying to bring back professional sports when it's far more likely that doing so will result in more people becoming infected? As we've seen, several players and staff have already contracted COVID-19 during these early stage of the return of the NHL.

Good for you if you say that you'll be happy watching this summer tournament – should it ever come to fruition. (I won't call it the Stanley Cup playoffs, and whichever team wins should have an asterisk next to its "victory".) I don't plan to watch because watching NHL games is so far down on my list of priorities right now.

You live in NYC. Plenty of cases there. You have been personally hit with family casualties.

I live in Québec. Worst hit Province in Canada mostly because of Mtl and CHSLD situation. My grandmother brother died from covid.

All this have nothing to do with the bubble NHL will be under when they resume activities, anytime that will be.

For sure, there should be higher approval to return between top teams like Bruins, Caps, TB, etc that with bubble teams likely eliminated in 3 like lowly Habs and others. But that’s not really the point.

My point forever has always been, whenever the NHL and players feel it’s now safe enough to resume playing, you award a Stanley Cup for the 19-20 season before even thinking about 20-21 or even 21-20. Finish what was started before thinking about starting anything else that could stop for whatever reasons/fears anyway.

As for the asterisk, do the Hawks have one for their 2013? Bruins win, no asterisk. Only team getting an asterisk is the Habs. And it won’t happen. So no asterisk. Just a very fun August-October playoffs to watch trying to find our new old lifes again.

Like I said, who is more at risk? NHLers in a bubble getting tested daily or common workers knowing nothing about co-workers/customers?

 

[talkinaway]

My point forever has always been, whenever the NHL and players feel it’s now safe enough to resume playing, you award a Stanley Cup for the 19-20 season before even thinking about 20-21 or even 21-20.

I think it's possible that we finish 2019-20, and skip 2020-21 altogether. Even if everything goes absolutely perfectly, the next season will be shortened as much as the 2013 season - if not more. Plus, again, all things going perfectly, let's say it takes a year from last March for a safe vaccine to be developed - that's unprecedented, ambitious, and optimistic. You then have to distribute it sufficiently to have arenas full (or partially full) of fans. I don't know the NHL's books, so it depends on their ticket/TV income balance - if they get a ton of cash from TV rights, they may go for it. If not, it might not be worth it for the league to play lower-rated regular season games without people buying tickets (and popcorn and hot dogs).

I do disagree with you a little on forcing a finish to 2019-2020. We're standing on a precipice, and we have to recognize that things can develop that can derail the playoffs. If it gets bad enough that they have to delay it to, say, next January or February? I think at that point, you have to close out the 2019-20 season with a blank space on the Cup, and just start the next season whenever it's safe. I know it's disappointing to the fans and to the players, but we're already at the point where the teams are "not quite the same" as they were in March. What if it's only safe by NEXT April? Or April 2022? What if players want (or need) to retire? What about younger players who would have been drafted, but can't play because we're stuck in the playoff holding pattern? At some point, you close the season, hold the virtual draft, and open up free agency.

 

[trenton1]

I feel like they should be able to pull this tourney off, but some of the ideas being batted around by the league don't seem too good.

Just say no to Vegas.

 

[sooshii]

Pierre Lebrun in The Athletic:

Of those six, my understanding is that Vegas along with the three Canadian bids in Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto figure prominently. Los Angeles also keeps pushing and Chicago is confirmed to be still in the running, sources said Monday.

The league sent the NHLPA more detailed information on the hub city bids before the weekend for union staff and players to digest, a source said.

While you can understand the concern with the COVID-19 cases spiking in Nevada, a source over the weekend said the NHL bubble plans to be very tight in Phase 4 during the actual tournament and that the league at this point isn’t overly concerned and still has Vegas as a strong option.

Now this is just me handicapping things as of Monday, but I feel as of right now, it looks like either Vegas with Vancouver or Vegas with Edmonton, with Toronto just on the outside and still perhaps convincing the league and players before this is all over.

 

[missingchicklet]

I've probably overlooked it somewhere, but given the needed tight scheduling, what happens if the second to last game scheduled for the evening at a rink goes into double or triple overtime? Seems like that would put the last game at a ridiculously late start time, not to mention how awful it would be for the players to be geared up and ready to play yet have to wait a couple extra hours.

 

[talkinaway]

I've probably overlooked it somewhere, but given the needed tight scheduling, what happens if the second to last game scheduled for the evening at a rink goes into double or triple overtime? Seems like that would put the last game at a ridiculously late start time, not to mention how awful it would be for the players to be geared up and ready to play yet have to wait a couple extra hours.

I'm sure the Beanpot and the Olympics could give them some tips on how to handle this. Since most of the games are being played out west, it's likely to be games at 4 and 7 on weekdays. If the 4 PM goes into 2 OT, I guess that means the 7 PM game starts at 9ish local if my math is right? Not terrible for the players. Not terrible for the fans, either, since at least they'll all be at home.

In a worst case/drop dead scenario, where the 4 PM game goes into 4 OT and lasts until 10 PM locally, I guess you could just play the game in the early afternoon the next day, at noon? Or just skip the game and have them play the next game on the schedule, tacking an extra game on at the end of the schedule if game 7 is necessary. Yeah, sucks that the players get pumped and warmed up to play on Monday, but wind up playing Tuesday or skipping it for their next game on Wednesday - but again, this is the flexibility you get when you don't have 17,000 people who bought tickets to your event.

Weekends where you have 3 games in a day might not be quite as bad. Spread out the games - for the EC teams (if it's a WC venue), play at 10 AM, 2:30 PM, and 7 PM. That's 4:30 for each game. Again, you can have "provisional" start times, since fans aren't coming. And I'm sure NBCSN can find some room in its 24-hour pokerathon and/or marble racing to show some hockey.

 

[Cronuss]

I expect more to test positive. I love and miss hockey so much but it is not worth the life of a player or someone who works with the teams. Also risks player's and worker's families.

While I think we all need to be careful and mindful of the risks, we also have to accept that life has risks. The sport of hockey has risks, traveling on airplanes back and forth has risk, driving to the rinks, etc. Everything is a risk, it just has to be measured. If it is TOO risky, then sure, can it. But we don't need to go crazy and just shut down everything forever because we are living in fear.

 

[Ladyfan]

While I think we all need to be careful and mindful of the risks, we also have to accept that life has risks. The sport of hockey has risks, traveling on airplanes back and forth has risk, driving to the rinks, etc. Everything is a risk, it just has to be measured. If it is TOO risky, then sure, can it. But we don't need to go crazy and just shut down everything forever because we are living in fear.

This is different. We have other people to consider other than ourselves. Players do too.

This isn't to be compared to daily normal things (like riding in a car).

 

[Gee Wally]

Tuukka Rask expects to ramp up training as NHL restart plan proceeds - The Boston Globe

Tuukka Rask didn’t skate at all last summer, with the Bruins recharging their batteries after a grueling run to the Stanley Cup Final.

After an unexpected three months-plus off, he is ready to see some rubber.

Beginning Wednesday, the Bruins netminder hopes to ramp up toward training camp by skating three times a week. In theory, he could get in perhaps eight or nine sessions before July 10, the proposed date for NHL training camps to open.

“I guess I should probably start skating a little bit, if we’re going to start playing hockey,” Rask said Monday on a team-hosted Zoom call. “Haven’t been able to do that a whole lot.

“I just got my latest testing done today for coronavirus. If that comes back a negative, I will skate Wednesday, and three days a week going from there. Then we’ll see what happens with the training camp.”

Among the developments of the last few days:
▪ Beginning Tuesday, teams will be permitted to expand voluntary “Phase 2” training groups from six players to 12, Sportsnet reported. Since the June 8 reopening of NHL team facilities, workout groups had been limited to no more than six.
To date, the Bruins have kept their workout groups small, with several players yet to return to the Boston area. Monday’s group included Zdeno Chara, Par Lindholm, and John Moore, the team said.

▪ The NHL said Friday that 11 players had tested positive for COVID-19, out of more than 200 who had been tested multiple times since Phase 2 began. That came after the Lightning reported positive tests for three players. The Toronto Sun also reported that Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews tested positive while training in Arizona. The Leafs did not confirm the report, calling it a private matter.


It’s fun to be back playing, I guess, if that happens,” he said. “The layoff has been so long that I think everybody starts at zero at this point, so I think our advantage that we might have had three months ago is gone.


I think it’ll be exciting just to have some closure for the season. If they crown a champion, we’re definitely going to do whatever we can to be that team.”

 

[missingchicklet]

I'm sure the Beanpot and the Olympics could give them some tips on how to handle this. Since most of the games are being played out west, it's likely to be games at 4 and 7 on weekdays. If the 4 PM goes into 2 OT, I guess that means the 7 PM game starts at 9ish local if my math is right? Not terrible for the players. Not terrible for the fans, either, since at least they'll all be at home.

In a worst case/drop dead scenario, where the 4 PM game goes into 4 OT and lasts until 10 PM locally, I guess you could just play the game in the early afternoon the next day, at noon? Or just skip the game and have them play the next game on the schedule, tacking an extra game on at the end of the schedule if game 7 is necessary. Yeah, sucks that the players get pumped and warmed up to play on Monday, but wind up playing Tuesday or skipping it for their next game on Wednesday - but again, this is the flexibility you get when you don't have 17,000 people who bought tickets to your event.

Weekends where you have 3 games in a day might not be quite as bad. Spread out the games - for the EC teams (if it's a WC venue), play at 10 AM, 2:30 PM, and 7 PM. That's 4:30 for each game. Again, you can have "provisional" start times, since fans aren't coming. And I'm sure NBCSN can find some room in its 24-hour pokerathon and/or marble racing to show some hockey.

Ah ok, makes sense. I was assuming games would start later than 4 or 7 EST in order to cater to prime time viewers in the East, with Western Conf games starting 8 or 9 PST to cater to prime time viewers in the West.

 

[talkinaway]

Ah ok, makes sense. I was assuming games would start later than 4 or 7 EST in order to cater to prime time viewers in the East, with Western Conf games starting 8 or 9 PST to cater to prime time viewers in the West.

If they only have one rink per city (which is what I assume they'll do), then that's probably the schedule. It'll suck to have a 10 PM game for East cost fans, but there may not be too many. By the time it gets down to Round 2, 4 teams (and 2 series) per site, you should be able to have just one team play every other day at 4 PM local in the EC site, and one team play at 7 PM local in the WC site (or 5 PM for Chicago/Dallas).

The one saving grace for fans is that if a 7 PM team gets their series over with early, then a 10 PM game can take their slots. Again, flexibility both with fans not coming to the arena AND with TV scheduling. Normally TBD times are done at least 24 hours (preferably 48 hours) in advance, for fans buying tickets and/or scheduling TV watching, but these are exceptional circumstances.

I think both hubs will wind up in a WC city...Toronto's been resistant from what I've heard, and it looks like Columbus and Pittsburgh (as well as a couple of others) are not on the short list of 6 teams:

UPDATE: Pittsburgh Appears OUT of NHL Hub Cities, Phase 2 Expands

One of Toronto's selling points I think was the multiple rinks - the Marlies play literally a stones throw. But I don't think the NHL wants games played outside of their stadiums, because the camera work is easier (and probably higher quality) if they stick to their known arenas. Still, the extra rinks would come in handy for practice, which is probably one reason Boston might have found it tough. Warrior's close-ish (not like Toronto), and I'm sure there exist college rinks, but would they allow the NHL to use them when the campus is closed?

 

[JRull86]

I really don't get the Vegas thing in regards to a hub city.

 

[BruinDust]

I really don't get the Vegas thing in regards to a hub city.

Me either.

 

[Bruinaura]

 

[Therick67]

I expect more to test positive. I love and miss hockey so much but it is not worth the life of a player or someone who works with the teams. Also risks player's and worker's families.

I certainly agree. I've been back at work for 3 weeks while i could easily be working from home..lots of people are taking risks everyday who aren't essential or don't have another option..

I'd love to have a choice and stay home, but I'm not being given one. My wife, son and daughter all have asthma (as do i).

I'm not trying to sound callous, I don't wish anyone sick - but I'm also not excited about being at work ..

 

[missingchicklet]

I really don't get the Vegas thing in regards to a hub city.

I'm with you. I know that Vegas might not be seeing a rise in cases by the time the tournament starts, but there surely has to be a safer place to play than a city such as Vegas. I get that the NHL is creating a "bubble," however there is no way to create a complete bubble with that many players and support staff. Seems to me that two Western Canadian cities would be the way to go if they want to reduce the odds of infection. Vancouver and Edmonton appear to me to be a couple good choices for hub cities.

 

[Ladyfan]

I certainly agree. I've been back at work for 3 weeks while i could easily be working from home..lots of people are taking risks everyday who aren't essential or don't have another option..

I'd love to have a choice and stay home, but I'm not being given one. My wife, son and daughter all have asthma (as do i).

I'm not trying to sound callous, I don't wish anyone sick - but I'm also not excited about being at work ..

I worked at home for 2+ months and got everything done. My company wanted everyone back so I am back in the cube. I was much happier and more productive at home..sigh. My director and VP were OK with me working at home as they knew I would do the work. The guy who owns the company doesn't trust people I guess.

 

[DaveFromNB]

I'm with you. I know that Vegas might not be seeing a rise in cases by the time the tournament starts, but there surely has to be a safer place to play than a city such as Vegas. I get that the NHL is creating a "bubble," however there is no way to create a complete bubble with that many players and support staff. Seems to me that two Western Canadian cities would be the way to go if they want to reduce the odds of infection. Vancouver and Edmonton appear to me to be a couple good choices for hub cities.

Nevada, population 3 million, has recorded its all time high in new cases today - 462. Canada, population 38 million, has recorded 326 cases today, and cases have been steadily dropping. U.S. btw is well over 34,000 cases today with no where to go except up. I hope considering U.S. cities is simply an optics thing, because there is no way that the finals teams are going to spend 3 months in a U.S. city and escape Covid.

 

[Dizzay]

I think Chicago and Edmonton make the most sense.
What I think will happen is Toronto and Vegas.

 

[goldnblack]

Any guesses to the top 6 on the blueline in a playoff series?

Even if he's somehow healthy, Miller has lost his spot right?

 

[bb74]

Needs to be all US or all Canada otherwise 14 day quarantine between semis and finals....Not gonna happen. i would put money on Canada...