ECHL 2020-21 Season Plans

210

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Getting back on topic...

On Wednesday, for my podcast I had a conversation with Worcester Railers Chief Operating Officer Mike Myers about the Railers opting out this season and what the future holds for the franchise. While his answers were generally specific to the Railers there was a lot of information about what hurdles the teams playing will face. At about the 49 minute mark (and while a co-host gets a phone call), Myers answers about playing in a bubble like the NHL did. His answer includes some of the things teams have to do to play this season.

From my blog you can reach the podcast from many services (no ads on either my blog or in the podcast):
Shenanigans Special: Worcester Railers COO Mike Myers

(BTW, I'm self-reporting this post. I read the forum rules and I think it's allowed, but I want to make sure)
 
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JMCx4

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Getting back on topic...

On Wednesday, for my podcast I had a conversation with Worcester Railers Chief Operating Officer Mike Myers about the Railers opting out this season and what the future holds for the franchise. While his answers were generally specific to the Railers there was a lot of information about what hurdles the teams playing will face. ...
I dunno, I found them specifically general ... :huh:
 

CrazyEddie20

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K's continue to push for more time | Ice Chips | Journal Gazette

Via Justin Cohn of the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette:

“We’re attempting avenues to find more time to make a decision,” Komets president Michael Franke said today. “We want to be able to make a positive decision for a season and, as you know, we quite frankly cannot do that by Monday.”
To push back the deadline, it would require the approval of the ECHL’s Board of Governors and the Professional Hockey Players’ association, parties set to speak Monday.

“I would assume that their thinking would be along our lines in regard to the fact that we need to do anything we can to get a season in,” Franke said.

The trend of the coronavirus pandemic has been bad in Indiana, so much so that public gatherings are currently limited to 100 people. More problematic for the Komets is that they cannot even apply to the Allen County Department of Health for greater capacity until Dec. 16, assuming their first game remains scheduled for Jan. 15.
 
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CrazyEddie20

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I just did something that chilled me to the very core of the fiber of my human existence: I added a Like to a post by @CrazyEddie20 featuring a quote from Justin Cohn. :surrender

Ha.

Man, if we get the Komets, it's gonna suck.

But, playing this season is kind of unnecessary.

Kind of unnecessary? More like absurd. No one with any sense is paying for a ticket to a game that also grants you the opportunity to get infected with Covid-19. But then, spend enough time around minor league hockey fans and you know that there isn't a lot of sense in the bunch.
 
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CrazyEddie20

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The Komets aren't the only team teetering on the edge:

Komets, four other teams still debating whether to play

"A Monday deadline came and went, and the Fort Wayne Komets are among five ECHL teams yet to decide whether they will lace up their skates this season.

The league granted each franchise an extension -- until Wednesday -- to make that determination."

Sounds like no one wants to be the first to jump.
 
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CrazyEddie20

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Also, per the article, "The other franchises that received an extension are in Toledo, Cincinnati, Kalamazoo and Idaho."

It does not say that any more teams have opted out, though I'd put money down that some other teams have.
 
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CrazyEddie20

Hey RuZZia - Cut Your Losses and Go Home.
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The longer it goes, the less it seems like any of these teams will be coming back

Nothing is going to change for the better between yesterday and Wednesday. Anyone who thinks so probably also believed it when they heard, "One day, like magic, it's going to disappear."
 

Atlantian

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The league will lose fewer members if they cancel the season and wait until next year.
not sure if that is true at this point. The playing teams have already accepted tons of money from both fans and sponsors that would need to be refunded. It is likely a lot of that has already been spent on advertising, payroll, equipment, and upcoming travel expenses. Cancelling the season now as opposed to months or even weeks ago would royally f*** over the teams scheduled to play this month. The preseason is this week.
 

210

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not sure if that is true at this point. The playing teams have already accepted tons of money from both fans and sponsors that would need to be refunded. It is likely a lot of that has already been spent on advertising, payroll, equipment, and upcoming travel expenses. Cancelling the season now as opposed to months or even weeks ago would royally f*** over the teams scheduled to play this month. The preseason is this week.

Huh, really?. Worcester opted out and unless a season ticket holder or sponsor asked didn't refund any money. It's all held as a credit for the 2021-22 season. By the way, almost no season ticket holders and no sponsors asked. In minor league hockey most advertising is co-op, so there's little actual money changing hands. Equipment is generally good from year to year unless the ECHL changes suppliers, and with teams having significant inventories from 2019-20 still around, it's a real safe bet that won't be happening anytime soon. Travel expenses would be essentially zero right now because, get this, they haven't traveled anywhere yet. Reservation can easily be canceled and bussing contracts generally have escape clauses in them. The only sunk cost is payroll, and it's better to lose that reasonable amount vs losing everything when they try to play through this.
 

GindyDraws

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The league will lose fewer members if they cancel the season and wait until next year.

We'll probably see the league try out the 13 team experiment this week and see how it goes... then it'll probably get cancelled when it's revealed to be a bad idea sometime in January as every single one of the other franchises that were given a choice to join up didn't and the ones that have are forced to adapt to more restrictions.

Then the casualties begin.
 

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