WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN FOR THE LEAGUE TO DECIDE IT’S SAFE TO RESUME GAMES? WOULD THE LEAGUE COME BACK AND PLAY IN FRONT OF EMPTY ARENAS?
That’s impossible to know for sure, but one thing several interested parties (executives, agents, players) agree on is that you can’t have a situation where you start up again, then have to stop. You can’t resume until you have as much assurance as can possibly exist that you’re going to be able to finish.
During his Friday appearance on Hockey Central, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the season will resume “when it’s appropriate and when it’s safe so that everybody can be comfortable. (Our governments) will tell us. We’re not equipped to say the pandemic is over.”
To be perfectly honest, it could come down to how we live our lives the next few weeks. If we’re smart about cleanliness, working from home (as much as you can) and not overcrowding — especially if sick — we’ve got a better chance of a quicker recovery. Make good choices, everyone.