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

[MeHateHe]

Huh. According to this piece, the proposal is to have all remaining games in BC, using WHL rinks in places like Victoria, Kamloops, Kelowna and Prince George.

B.C. could host all remaining NHL games, premier says

 

[gstommylee]

Huh. According to this piece, the proposal is to have all remaining games in BC, using WHL rinks in places like Victoria, Kamloops, Kelowna and Prince George.

B.C. could host all remaining NHL games, premier says

Eh i think is a bit unreasonable they have enough hotels, food places, practice facilitys to house all 31 teams, and team staff + refs?

 

[Super Cake]

Eh i think is a bit unreasonable they have enough hotels, food places, practice facilitys to house all 31 teams, and team staff + refs?

It won't be all 31 teams.

It most likely will just be 24.

 

[LadyStanley]

Vegas may host SoCal NFL teams. And NBA offerred Mandalay Bay + Four Seasons + Delano. MLS in Orlando.

 

[KevFu]

MLB can do this easily because all the spring training facilities are all located in those two states. The Diamondbacks ownership has already offered Chase Field as an alternative for the extreme hot days. For the NFL, there's already talk of AZ hosting the California teams.

We both live here. They're all extremely hot. MLB doesn't want to do the AZ/FL plan because they would lose the signage advertising dollars. They signed deals for locations that exist at home and might not exist in spring training site. Which I think you could do my 5 dome quarantine plan and meet everyone's signage needs digitally, but whatever.

At least the NHL does not have that big of a problem because at least half the board ads are league-wide deals, and they can use the digital ads on the glass to compensate.

 

[KevFu]

BTW, MLS plan is the most interesting.

1. They acknowledge quarantine is the safest/best way to complete a season.
2. They're going to start with an "MLS World Cup" tournament. Group play, then knockout stage (only with a consolation bracket so everyone plays 9 games games).
3. After that, if they can resume a normal season, those games will count like the ones they started already and they'll complete a single-round West vs West; East vs East, and go into the playoffs. If they can't resume and that's all their season is, then at least they did something cool on TV.

 

[TheLegend]

We both live here. They're all extremely hot. MLB doesn't want to do the AZ/FL plan because they would lose the signage advertising dollars. They signed deals for locations that exist at home and might not exist in spring training site. Which I think you could do my 5 dome quarantine plan and meet everyone's signage needs digitally, but whatever.

At least the NHL does not have that big of a problem because at least half the board ads are league-wide deals, and they can use the digital ads on the glass to compensate.

Honestly speaking I think the TV revenue means more right now than onsite advertising. Sure.... it's a part of it but most if not all of these games will be going fanless, so signage exposure would be limited.

 

[KevFu]

Honestly speaking I think the TV revenue means more right now than onsite advertising. Sure.... it's a part of it but most if not all of these games will be going fanless, so signage exposure would be limited.

The TV means way more than the signage. But playing neutral site games, you lose both ticket and signage revenue streams.

The value of the signs BEING ON TV are far more than the value of the signs being seen for in person customers. Hence playing at home.

Personally, I think they could have simply used banner tarp ads over the empty seats to get all 6 teams ads in the OF and played quarantine in 5 domes safely.

But then there's the exposure for stadium naming rights. The whole point of those deals is to get mentioned, which the company won't if the team isn't playing there

 

[TheLegend]

The TV means way more than the signage. But playing neutral site games, you lose both ticket and signage revenue streams.

The value of the signs BEING ON TV are far more than the value of the signs being seen for in person customers. Hence playing at home.

Personally, I think they could have simply used banner tarp ads over the empty seats to get all 6 teams ads in the OF and played quarantine in 5 domes safely.

But then there's the exposure for stadium naming rights. The whole point of those deals is to get mentioned, which the company won't if the team isn't playing there

I get all of that. My point is they need to at least get games back on TV ASAP. The rest of it will eventually come.

 

[LadyStanley]

Digital ads require additional processing and installing hardware that allows systems to recognize where the boards are. (I thought this was not ready to go yet, in terms of teams/arenas have the stuff do to the install.)

As it is, it takes minutes to peel off the old ad and put a new one on. It may be that the time between games at hub includes swapping out local ads for new ones, if digital isn't used.

 

[LadyStanley]

Paywall. A little more clarity of speculation.

Hub cities would not host home team. So Pacific division teams might play in Minnesota while Central division teams are in Vegas.

First up, round robin exhibition/positioning games.

Then best of three play-in, with top teams getting bye. If twentyfour teams, two sets of games per hub to get down to final 4 (top 2 teams get bye). If twenty teams, one series with top 3 teams getting bye.

Then two "traditional" best of 7 series in hub.

Then merge final four teams into one hub for conference finals and Stanley Cup final.

 

[LadyStanley]

Possible decision coming soon

 

[LadyStanley]

Only two hubs?

 

[Acesolid]

After reading the Athletic article comparing a "24 team" versus the "20 team" scenarios (With an inter-division round Robin before a three game play-in series to decide the 16 team playoff field with the best in each divisions getting a bye)...

I believe the 24 team plan makes the most sense by far. Both in a fairness sense, since a bunch of the season was left to play, and in a money perspective... because the Habs, Rangers and Blackhawks mean $$$$$$$$ for the league. If you put both scenarios in front any NBC or Sportsnet exec... they'll ask for the 24 team scenario every single time.

Also, it'd such wild system that there's no way it wouldn't create a ton of excitement. And create the opportunity for a lot of great MONEY match-ups. I mean... Montreal/Toronto? Pittsburg/Washington? Calgary/Edmonton? Chicago/St-Louis? Yes please!

 

[tarheelhockey]

After reading the Athletic article comparing a "24 team" versus the "20 team" scenarios (With an inter-division round Robin before a three game play-in series to decide the 16 team playoff field with the best in each divisions getting a bye)...

I believe the 24 team plan makes the most sense by far. Both in a fairness sense, since a bunch of the season was left to play, and in a money perspective... because the Habs, Rangers and Blackhawks mean $$$$$$$$ for the league. If you put both scenarios in front any NBC or Sportsnet exec... they'll ask for the 24 team scenario every single time.

Also, it'd such wild system that there's no way it wouldn't create a ton of excitement. And create the opportunity for a lot of great MONEY match-ups. I mean... Montreal/Toronto? Pittsburg/Washington? Calgary/Edmonton? Chicago/St-Louis? Yes please!

Yeah, they're going to go with the one that's a cash cow. Straight up.

The choice to include Montreal, NYC, Chicago isn't a choice at all, it's a gimme.

 

[LadyStanley]

Thinking through two hub cities.....

12 teams per hub = 3 games/day and teams would play every other day (no back to backs) in round robin.
Play-in best of 3: 8 teams involved; two games/day, teams play every other day.
Play offs, round 1, best of 7: 8 teams, 4 series. Two games/day, teams play every other day.
Play offs, round 2, best of 7: 4 teams, 2 series. One game/day, teams play every other day. (Or you could alternate hubs by day)

Rounds 3 & 4 - combine down to one hub.
Play offs, round 3, best of 7: 4 teams, 2 series. One game/day, teams play every other day. (And teams would not have to change/move locker rooms)
Play offs, round 4, best of 7: 2 teams, 1 series. One game every other day.

So: Hub 1/2. Divisions A-D. Schedule might be something like:

Hub 1:
(Day 1) Division A: RR game 1 - 12 noon local. RR game 2 - 4pm local. RR game 3 8pm local
(Games typically take 2.5 hours, plus .5 hour for warm up. 4 hours between games would give more time for ice to settle and sanitize benches, etc. Might need to sanitize stuff between periods as well. And there would be 2+ hours to sanitize locker rooms between games 1 and 3. Teams might not be able to get into locker room until 2 hours before game 3.)

Hub 2 would have similar schedule for Division C.

Day 2 would be divisions B and D. Etc.

Ideally, you have Hub 1 and Hub 2 staggered about 2 hours apart.

Down to two (or less) games/day at hub means no extra sanitizing the locker room during the day as there are two sets of locker rooms.

 

[jkrdevil]

The model in terms of scheduling within a hub the Vancouver Olympics probably serve as a model. I believe Rogers Place/GM Place/Canada Hockey Place hosted games at 12, 4 and 7:30 local time. The one round they had 4 games in one day they had to use a second rink, so 3 games a day is probably a max.

You could conceivably play the whole thing start to finish in about 10-11 weeks depending if you have a 4v5 play-in round or do best of 5 or 7’s for what would usually be round 1 or two of the playoffs.

Given the overlap of at least two games per day if they go an eastern and westerner front, one solution on the tv front would be to split the rights for the round robin. Treat the regional sports affiliates as sort of a national network and give a large chunk of the round robin games to air with NBCSN taking the rest. Basically that means every game would air nationally on either NBCSN or you regional sports affiliate that would normally air your local NHL games (with FSN/Sinclair picking up the non-markets). This would serve as a make good for teams not meeting their local number of games for the regular season. The NHL is lucky in this regard that in the two multi-team markets the teams share the same rights holder (MSG in New York, FSN in So Cal).

 

[pbgoalie]

Man there would be a lot of games on these ice sheets with warm weather.

of course, no fans would mean maintains building temperatures and humidity would be a bit easier

but I’d love to see hockey but not on cruddy ice

 

[LadyStanley]

Having fans in arena usually heats it up.

Not having load in/out shows/food stuffs helps by not having to allow exterior air in.

(Now, there would be food deliveries for teams, media, but no where near the amount needed for fans.)

 

[cbcwpg]

NHL hopeful extended border closure won't impact return to play timelines - Sportsnet.ca

The NHL remains "hopeful" that an extended Canada-U.S. border closure will not "materially affect the resumption of play timelines we are currently contemplating," according to deputy commissioner Bill Daly.

That comment comes in the wake of Tuesday morning’s announcement from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the border between the countries will remain closed to non-essential travel through June 21.

***

Will be interesting to see if this affects an ultimate start date. Also reading that 17% of the NHL players are overseas right now.

 

[KevFu]

Digital ads require additional processing and installing hardware that allows systems to recognize where the boards are. (I thought this was not ready to go yet, in terms of teams/arenas have the stuff do to the install.)

As it is, it takes minutes to peel off the old ad and put a new one on. It may be that the time between games at hub includes swapping out local ads for new ones, if digital isn't used.

Well, I was talking more baseball than hockey at that time, where they can use the green screen behind home plate to recreate all the team-by-team ads at one site.

NHL uses the software for two reasons: 1) the camera moves unlike baseball's centerfield pitch view camera. 2) because fans in the building need to see through the glass.

Since there's no fans, all the seats in the lower bowl can be ads! So you can get everyone's deals camera time.
And for ads on the glass, just borrow the tech from someone who has it -- NYI, NYR, NJD all do, they have ads behind the goals on MSG and wouldn't need it if they're not picked as a hub.

NY would actually work as a hub tho, because you can put 12 teams in NY and play in four NHL acceptable arenas (possibly five, if the old Devils jersey still has capability. It's generally a rehearsal space for musicians prepping for NYC metro area concerts).

 

[LadyStanley]

Plan was to do digital board ads "real soon now." If only 2-4 cities are just for hub, I can see them taking time to install necessary hardware.





A given, especially as with vacant hotels, literally adjacent to arena, MGM Corp could dedicate entire hotel to NHL. (MGM plans to restart by only opening 2 locations: NYNY and Bellagio. That leaves MGM Grand, Park MGM, Excalibur, Mandalay Bay/Four Seasons/Delano shuttered and could be reopened for NHL. Word leaked that Mandalay Bay et al were offered to NBA. )

 

[LadyStanley]

Hmmm

 

[Ernie]

NBA is leaning to Orlando, leaving Vegas an option for the NHL

Orlando’s Walt Disney World Resort is the clear frontrunner to become the NBA’s playing site to resume the 2019-20 season amid the coronavirus pandemic, sources told The Athletic.
The NBA is in serious discussions with Disney about the property, which has gained clear momentum over cities such as Las Vegas, sources said. It remains unclear when the games would begin, but multiple sources say the prospect of players fully training in mid-June and playing by mid-July has been the most popular and possible scenario discussed. NBA commissioner Adam Silver told the Board of Governors on May 12 that he aims to decide on the season in two-to-four weeks, and that he wants to wait as long as he can to make final decisions.
​

Sources: NBA in serious talks to restart season in Orlando,...

 

[LadyStanley]

Momentum for 24 team playoffs.

Lots to work out still.