Division-centric sites for season resumption - reported to be Edmonton and Toronto

[LadyStanley]

From yesterday, but still some points

 

[pbgoalie]

I hate political correctness, but am going to ask anyway.
I want hockey to play as soon as legitimately possible.
With no fans,
there still has to be
officials. Okay
off ice officials. ok
cameras and production. different world for social distancing needed
trainers...
medical staff/ambulances.

if players, coaches, tv and officials want the risk, I feel it's their choice
But taking any medical resources away will look to SOME as a bad thing.
And if an outbreak is linked to hockey, it will be a PR nightmare

I have no answer, and I'm glad it is not my decision, but returning to some kind normal certainly sounds good

 

[LadyStanley]

Nothing set. Possible phase 2 by end of May.

 

[cbcwpg]

How quarantining from family could be a roadblock for the NHL’s return

So how much of a push back from the NHLPA and players does this become?

The NHL would be asking players to be quarantined away from their families for months ( or at least until they are eliminated from the playoffs ) . Sure they get paid a lot and any money that is earned goes to help reducing any salary reduction thru escrow or whatever, but still, it's a big ask IMO.

Maybe the NHLPA says they will do it ( have players quarantined for months ) but they want concessions in the next CBA negotiations which aren't that far away.

 

[tarheelhockey]

And if an outbreak is linked to hockey, it will be a PR nightmare

That's pretty much the issue here. Unless you can ensure that every single person is absolutely 100% non-infected the entire time, holding a game invites the possibility that entire teams get hit with the virus. It's not like this thing is a cold, there is a strong likelihood that we have players in the hospital if this happens. How does it look for the league to start a playoff tournament, and then end up with teams unable to proceed because they're crushed with a virus outbreak?

There really isn't a good answer for it. This sucks a lot.

 

[Acesolid]

I hate political correctness, but am going to ask anyway.
I want hockey to play as soon as legitimately possible.
With no fans,
there still has to be
officials. Okay
off ice officials. ok
cameras and production. different world for social distancing needed
trainers...
medical staff/ambulances.

if players, coaches, tv and officials want the risk, I feel it's their choice
But taking any medical resources away will look to SOME as a bad thing.
And if an outbreak is linked to hockey, it will be a PR nightmare

I have no answer, and I'm glad it is not my decision, but returning to some kind normal certainly sounds good

The thing is that even if the "current season" has to end in november and the "next season" has to begin in January... the NHL will do it.

The financial repercussions for the NHL of not delivering on their TV contract obligations would be catastrophic.

 

[LadyStanley]

The financial repercussions for the NHL of not delivering on their TV contract obligations would be catastrophic.

Articles I've seen have bandied about $300-$500m due to sponsors and TV contracts.

 

[LadyStanley]

Bettman interview about restart, etc

 

[LadyStanley]

Thinking a lot is list of approved vendors, such as charter bus companies to move teams to/ from hotel, practice facilities, game venue, etc.

 

[Legion34]

This will be interesting. I understand the desire to finish the season, and especially the desire to have a playoffs. However, sequestration is a difficult matter, because:
There is no way to simply give a certain team a set of hotel rooms to finish the regular season unless you can play all games in ONE location. That's because there are inter-conference games left on the schedule, and I do not think it's possible to create 2 'sets' of teams with no crossover. So, even at this....there will be travel.

Now, it's possible that you could do:
Four sites for games (one for each division)
If your team is playing out of site that day: Fly in the AM to the correct site, transport direct to facility, spend the day at the facility, play game, transport to airport, fly 'home'.
Alternatively, one set of hotel rooms in each city could be reserved for traveling teams.....

But the planning logistics are going to be difficult.

I might just take a look at how many games each team has left out of its division - just for kicks. By a quick count, approximately 1/2 the games left on the schedule would fit into this category - either interconference or interdivisional.

or you just put the teams in divisions. And they just play each other. Tough for metro and central that way you get top and bottom teams in each job. But for 500 million. It’s how it might be.

 

[Legion34]

If a team is hosting, they will likely not be quarantined. Bettman has said the only way the season will continue is if people can be reliably tested. Besides, most players are quarantined at their homes right now, with their families. A direct quarantine certainly doesn't mean the players leave their families, where they've been since the season has been paused.



Look at the title of this thread. We're not talking about neutral site games. Bettman said they are off the table and the league is looking to have each division play at an NHL arena, since even minor league and high end college arenas they looked at didn't have NHL-standard amenities.



Reckless and irresponsible? Players are already quarantined at home with their families. That's what they've been doing since the season was put on pause. They're not sitting alone in a hotel room. Have you looked at any NHL social media over the last month? Carey Price fishing at home with his family. Zdeno Chara wearing Bruins masks at home with his family. The three Hughes brothers playing street hockey at their home together. Patrick Marleau skating through his house past his wife and kids. Tarasenko playing goalie with his family at his home. Family workout videos posted by Gustafsson, O'Reilly, and no less than dozens of other players. Do you not understand what NHL players have been doing? What you just said is wildly oblivious. Get real and turn your brain on.

1.) Everyone is supposed to be self isolating. You can isolate With your family. Everyone is. . But they aren’t travelling etc. Once the players start again they are out of isolation. They self isolate. They wouldn’t go home to their families etc between games.


2.) they could very easily just switch cities. If it is in Toronto and Columbus and Dallas and whoever. They could just switch so the “home team” would play in a different city.

 

[KevFu]

Re: Quarantine/Isolation of players.

I understand why it's a sticking point for players, not wanting to be away from their families for months.

But the only way to safely hold the rest of a sports season without a risk of total shutdown again would be to turn each team, or venue, into "a family"

The more communities you're a part of, the more risk their is of this pathogen entering your home.

The way the NHL needs to look at it is like this:
- Your family is staying home to be safe. You'd be traveling out into the world, seeing your teammates, your opponents, your referees, your hotel staff, your bus drivers, etc, etc. That's bringing THOUSANDS of people into your world, any of which could infect you. What would happen if you then went home to your family?

Quarantine/Isolation is just as much about protecting your family as it is protecting you and your teammates.

 

[KevFu]

I think people are looking at logistics of running a sport season during a pandemic from the wrong angle. They're looking at it from a government angle of "what's allowed" and not from an angle of "what's smartest to keep infection from breaching the league's system"

Start from this: If a player gets COVID during the resumed season, the league has to shut it down again. So how do you ensure that cannot happen?

Every person you interact with is a new community overlap between you and every person THEY interact with. It's kind of like how with STD education, they say "you're not just sleeping with that person, but everyone they've ever slept with."

The safest course is keeping the number of interactions, and the number of community overlaps as low as possible.

Neutral site games with many teams in one location are the smartest, because you can double the staff at four venues to account for more games; and basically use 8 crews for everything you need instead of needing 31 crews to play a regular season.

If you isolate all the players/coaches/trainers/equipment guys/refs/penalty box staff/bus drivers-- everyone who's going to be in a "2 degrees" community with the players -- together in one hotel that the NHL rents out and you're making one giant family (per division) with no outside contact. So if everyone comes into that hotel healthy, everyone should remain healthy.

No one is getting infected by a stewardess who got it on her last flight before working the NHL charter. No one is getting it from a family member who got it. No one is getting it from an Uber driver to the arena because their wife needed the car. Etc, etc.

Creating a defensive perimeter around all the people you need to finish the season is the only way to ensure you finish the season.

Does it suck to be away from your family? Of course. But if you feel playing hockey is more important than just canceling the season, that's the only real feasible option to safely play.

 

[Jetsfan79]

they discussed this and said it was not mathematically possible to do that exact scenario and have each team equal the same amount of games before reaching 82.

That's why I said they would go to *points percentage * AFTER the season ending divisional games. So yes unequal games but teams would at least have a chance to improve their points percentage with the remaining games.(everyone plays 1 game vs other division opponents)Much better than going STRAIGHT to points percentage as been suggested.

 

[cbcwpg]

Start from this: If a player gets COVID during the resumed season, the league has to shut it down again. So how do you ensure that cannot happen?

Bill Daly: Single or multiple positive COVID-19 tests wouldn’t necessarily shut restart attempt - TSN.ca

Daly told TSN’s Ryan Rishaug. “but no, we do not believe that one positive test, even multiple positive tests wouldn’t necessarily shut the whole thing down.

***

The NHL is saying positive test(s) might not shut it down again. Not sure how they think they can manage that. Once one player gets it, it's going to spread thru his whole team. More so if the players are all isolating together.

I know it was a long time ago (1919) , but the last time the NHL was playing games in a pandemic, a player died. So how is the NHL going to deal with a player getting sick while playing in a "forced" restart, and passing away? These players are healthy physical specimens , but even healthy people are catching this and ending up in the hospital in the ICU.

Unless the NHL can come up with some 100% fool proof way of isolation someone is going to get sick.

 

[Ernie]

I suppose if they test every player on a regular basis they could stop it before it spreads too far. And enforce social distancing between the players that are isolating together.

One data point is with the positive tests in the NBA. Though several players on different teams tested positive, there is no indication that it spread to the entire team. A proactive approach could limit this even more.

Another note is that there is relatively low risk to the players even if they do catch it. All are young and in excellent shape. So it's unlikely that even in an outbreak anyone would die or even become seriously ill. If the entire world was made up of elite athletes in their 20's and early 30's, covid-19 wouldn't be a major concern.

 

[LadyStanley]

(NBA has their own situation. Apparently requesting 15k tests to restart season.)

 

[LadyStanley]

BOG meeting Monday looking at June entry draft. With decision probably by week's end.

Tuesday looking to refine hub suggestions. You can imagine NHL players not interested in being separated from families fir months. NBA considering options that allow players to bring their families. NHL may be considering the same.

 

[robertocarlos]

"If everyone comes into the hotel healthy". That is not 100% sure thing due to the hundreds if not thousands of prior contacts, even if they are brief contacts, such as at the grocery store or airport lounge.

 

[JMCx4]

... You can imagine NHL players not interested in being separated from families fir months. NBA considering options that allow players to bring their families. NHL may be considering the same.

I can imagine many players not wanting to remove their families from presumably healthy & familiar environs and placing them in unknown ones. Family health status/history & ages of children should be a major determinant. I think you'd see a large number of players deciding in the end that being separated is what's best for their families long-term.

 

[JMCx4]

... Another note is that there is relatively low risk to the players even if they do catch it. All are young and in excellent shape. So it's unlikely that even in an outbreak anyone would die or even become seriously ill. If the entire world was made up of elite athletes in their 20's and early 30's, covid-19 wouldn't be a major concern.

So THAT'S the solution to this pandemic: Governments should refocus their anti-COVID resources & immediately mandate a crash course in athletic training for EVERYONE within their populations. And imagine the side benefits of re-employing personal trainers & reopening fitness centers around the world. Feel free to start without me, while I finish my mega-Mexi-meal carry-outs & this 12-pack of Dos Equis.

 

[LadyStanley]

Canadian prime minister says NHL players will need to quarantine upon entering country - ProHockeyTalk | NBC Sports

Canadian PM wants anyone coming into country going through quarantine (based on current guidelines).

Negotiating with NHL as to what that means for the 7 Canadian teams, as well as any potential hub use (say Edmonton).

 

[KevFu]

Bill Daly: Single or multiple positive COVID-19 tests wouldn’t necessarily shut restart attempt - TSN.ca

Daly told TSN’s Ryan Rishaug. “but no, we do not believe that one positive test, even multiple positive tests wouldn’t necessarily shut the whole thing down.

***

The NHL is saying positive test(s) might not shut it down again. Not sure how they think they can manage that. Once one player gets it, it's going to spread thru his whole team. More so if the players are all isolating together.

I know it was a long time ago (1919) , but the last time the NHL was playing games in a pandemic, a player died. So how is the NHL going to deal with a player getting sick while playing in a "forced" restart, and passing away? These players are healthy physical specimens , but even healthy people are catching this and ending up in the hospital in the ICU.

Unless the NHL can come up with some 100% fool proof way of isolation someone is going to get sick.

I agree with you. The NHL is saying that one test wouldn't shut them down, but the fact is, that if one person gets it there's virtually no way to prevent it from spreading within a team, then to other teams/refs/etc.

If you quarantine a number of teams, refs, arena staff, TV crews, bus drivers and hotel staff together - testing them on the way in - and make them bunker down for 3 weeks before training and then start, you can keep them in a COVID free bubble. The only point of entry would be food deliveries to the hotel.

In a non-quarantine situation, the possible points of entry are every person, every interaction.

 

[KevFu]

I suppose if they test every player on a regular basis they could stop it before it spreads too far. And enforce social distancing between the players that are isolating together.

One data point is with the positive tests in the NBA. Though several players on different teams tested positive, there is no indication that it spread to the entire team. A proactive approach could limit this even more.

Another note is that there is relatively low risk to the players even if they do catch it. All are young and in excellent shape. So it's unlikely that even in an outbreak anyone would die or even become seriously ill. If the entire world was made up of elite athletes in their 20's and early 30's, covid-19 wouldn't be a major concern.

Disagree, completely. If one player got it, the daily testing would show "no one, no one, no one, detectable levels!" The incubation period is such that if someone brings it into the system, it would take days before knowing the system is compromised and during that time, it would be spreadable.

It didn't spread to an entire NBA team but it spread between teammates (and a referee), and once it did, they shut down the whole league.

I can imagine many players not wanting to remove their families from presumably healthy & familiar environs and placing them in unknown ones. Family health status/history & ages of children should be a major determinant. I think you'd see a large number of players deciding in the end that being separated is what's best for their families long-term.

I think that's the main reason no one has started up yet under quarantine. Players don't want it. But they really should view it as a two-way street, like it is. The players quarantining would save their families from getting it from the NHL community and eliminate the chance the NHL community gets it from outside the NHL community.

 

[cbcwpg]

I agree with you. The NHL is saying that one test wouldn't shut them down, but the fact is, that if one person gets it there's virtually no way to prevent it from spreading within a team, then to other teams/refs/etc.

If you quarantine a number of teams, refs, arena staff, TV crews, bus drivers and hotel staff together - testing them on the way in - and make them bunker down for 3 weeks before training and then start, you can keep them in a COVID free bubble. The only point of entry would be food deliveries to the hotel.

In a non-quarantine situation, the possible points of entry are every person, every interaction.

This brings up another point I've stated elsewhere.. It's one thing to get all the players into a quarantine bubble within a hotel because you have a league and a union that would be agreeing to do so. But how are you going to convince hotel staff ( whom today are either at home because their hotel is shutdown or more likely they are working but get to go home to their families every night ) to start living in a quarantine bubble for the next 2-4 months? Will the hotel that's picked by the NHL tell their staff they have to quarantine with the players or they lose their jobs? And if they don't quarantine with the players, you have left the door open to the virus.

Like I said, it's easier for the league and it's players to agree to something, but you have to convince a lot of support people to follow along, people that probably won't want to.