Hoping For An NHL 2020-2021 Season

Sgooter

Registered User
Dec 4, 2014
79
62
I would surely welcome the announcement of the start of a new NHL season for 2020-2021, whether its a full season or shortened due to to the stubborn COVID pandemic.
Looking back a year ago, the NHL season was nearly into its 3rd week of play. Cheers to the good old days.
 
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Satoru Gojo

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Jan 15, 2012
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I think the Vegas owner went on last week about an all Canadian division and a February 1st start or something?
 

Name Nameless

Don't go more than 10 seconds back on challenges
Apr 12, 2017
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So. Imagine the US decides to actually end this Corona-thing, with a really strict three-weeks lockdown, really strict. Just tentatively from January 21st, just to take an arbitrary date as an example. Then the US could start opening up again medio February. At this stage, with better/faster tests and possibly even a vaccine for the most exposed people (like hospital-workers), it might work opening up again. The NHL-teams would then have a couple of weeks to assemble the teams, and could do a grueling, but shortened season of 40 games in March and April. Then the play-offs could start a bit late, a bit into May, but in time to finish it by July 1st. At least with some back-to-backs thrown into the mix. Then expansion-draft, and entry-draft, and back on track?
 
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I read somewhere that an 82-game regular season is impossible if the season starts in January.

That's because the play-offs would take place in July co-inciding with the olympics and that can't be allowed to happen because of TV-rights.

Of course there's the possibility that the olympics won't be held next year either.
 

jetsforever

Registered User
Dec 14, 2013
27,201
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Not surprising we haven't heard anything yet, the last season just finished
I fully expect there will be a season though, although perhaps shortened
 

ole ole

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Oct 7, 2017
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A good read below.

NHL reveals worst-case scenario for 2020-21 season




The National Hockey League and its Players Association are working hard, studying all possible scenarios in order to get the 2020-21 season underway, however, senior hockey writer Frank Seravalli has revealed that everyone is bracing for the worst.
While general managers are meeting today to get ready for negotiations and discussions with commissioner Gary Bettman on important issues about the upcoming season, Sevaralli reports that the NHL has started to put numbers together to get ready for the worst-case scenario. Here is how he explained it on last night’s Insider Trading.
“One of the big conversations that’s been going on in recent weeks is a cost-benefit analysis for the NHL as it relates to next season and it came out that one of the discussions that the NHL and NHLPA had while they were negotiating this new collective bargaining agreement was modelling a worst case scenario for what the revenue projection is for next season if they play all of next season, even a shortened year, without fans. That number is $1.8 billion. So, when you’re doing that cost-benefit analysis and you’re paying out the players $2.7 billion or so in salary, well you can see why that may or may not be problematic for the NHL moving forward.”​
Seriously, we wouldn’t want to be in Bettman’s shoes. It has been clear for a while now that most teams need to safely welcome fans during their local games, in order to earn significant additional income, however, it sounds hard to make that a reality, especially with the current second wave of the coronavirus in Canada and in the United States.
A few weeks ago, Bettman revealed on the air of Vancouver’s TSN 1040 that the salary cap would have to stay flattened for several years. We already know that the salary cap has been flattened for the upcoming season, staying put at $81.5 million with several teams struggling to get under it. We’ve also seen the impact of it on the free-agency market with very good players still available, but clubs crunching numbers to make it work.
It’s all about the money in the end, and the NHL needs to get ready for the worst-case scenario for 2020-21 season…
 
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57special

Posting the right way since 2012.
Sep 5, 2012
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There is no point for the NHL to make an announcement on a firm opening date when they are having to deal with the effects of a pandemic on their business and game that is anything but predictable.

Even if everything were to shutdown, masks worn everywhere, and testing and contact tracing was in place to deal with outbreaks, it would be a matter of months, not weeks, to get case levels down significantly, and even then they couldn't go back to business as usual. As is, I don't see the government doing anything different till mid Jan, and that would only be if there is a change in leadership. So, we're talking about months from Mid Jan.

The only hope for a reasonably quick, normal return to hockey would be the discovery and implementation of a vaccine, but AFAIK, that will take many months in the best case scenario.

My wife works in ER's in the Midwest. She says the numbers of Covid patients showing up has really ramped up in the past few weeks. She is not looking forward to dealing with the first combined Flu/Covid season.

Wish I could be more positive. Hate to miss hockey...really liked the bubble games, with multiple games on each day. I applaud the NHL for doing such a good job on them.
 

Conan

Registered User
Sep 13, 2009
231
26
When do you expect the fans to be back in the arena? 2021-2022 season? And when do you think that season will start ?
 

StreetHawk

Registered User
Sep 30, 2017
25,591
9,425
There is no point for the NHL to make an announcement on a firm opening date when they are having to deal with the effects of a pandemic on their business and game that is anything but predictable.

Even if everything were to shutdown, masks worn everywhere, and testing and contact tracing was in place to deal with outbreaks, it would be a matter of months, not weeks, to get case levels down significantly, and even then they couldn't go back to business as usual. As is, I don't see the government doing anything different till mid Jan, and that would only be if there is a change in leadership. So, we're talking about months from Mid Jan.

The only hope for a reasonably quick, normal return to hockey would be the discovery and implementation of a vaccine, but AFAIK, that will take many months in the best case scenario.

My wife works in ER's in the Midwest. She says the numbers of Covid patients showing up has really ramped up in the past few weeks. She is not looking forward to dealing with the first combined Flu/Covid season.

Wish I could be more positive. Hate to miss hockey...really liked the bubble games, with multiple games on each day. I applaud the NHL for doing such a good job on them.
A date is needed by the players. Anyone who has to gear up physically for an event needs a target date to work backwards from. Boxing/MMA have 10 week training camps so they work backwards from say a Dec 20 fight date to begin their camp at the beginning of October.

so if the NHL season is to begin Jan 10 then players gear up to be training camp ready on Dec 10 or something, whenever it would open.
 

Just Linda

Registered User
Feb 24, 2018
6,632
6,506
So. Imagine the US decides to actually end this Corona-thing, with a really strict three-weeks lockdown, really strict. Just tentatively from January 21st, just to take an arbitrary date as an example. Then the US could start opening up again medio February. At this stage, with better/faster tests and possibly even a vaccine for the most exposed people (like hospital-workers), it might work opening up again. The NHL-teams would then have a couple of weeks to assemble the teams, and could do a grueling, but shortened season of 40 games in March and April. Then the play-offs could start a bit late, a bit into May, but in time to finish it by July 1st. At least with some back-to-backs thrown into the mix. Then expansion-draft, and entry-draft, and back on track?

The thing with lockdowns is you just need to miss one case. Certain industries can't actually shutdown (old folks homes, hospitals, police).

Lockdown would only buy you time not solve anything
 
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RorschachWJK

Registered User
Dec 28, 2004
4,941
1,299
Sure, it would be nice to have a NHL season but not at expense of lost human lives. It looks almost unavoidable that a season would have to be a shortened one. It also would most likely need to happen in bubbles, maybe by rearranging the teams on the US side of the border into three divisions, each in their own bubble. Canadian teams would be in their own bubble.
 

42

Registered User
Sep 8, 2013
8,585
6,617
Toronto Nebula
Just cut all players salaries so that at least owners break even and have a season without fans. Or cancel the season. I don't see how there would be a season where there is such a huge financial loss. There is very little chance we will see full arenas during this coming winter.
 

Name Nameless

Don't go more than 10 seconds back on challenges
Apr 12, 2017
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The thing with lockdowns is you just need to miss one case. Certain industries can't actually shutdown (old folks homes, hospitals, police).

Lockdown would only buy you time not solve anything

The things with lockdown is they have to be strict to work. But it has worked in China.

Even less strict, but with a general good attitude, it can work. In Norway, it has brought the disease really low. Sadly, there is new import all the time, in particular with firms who wants to save money by importing "cheap" foreign labour.
 

MM425

Registered User
Aug 14, 2005
4,968
446
Can the NHL make a 2021 season even remotely viable from an economic standpoint?

Have to think that the absolute best-case scenario for the NHL in terms of fans in arenas is what the NFL is doing in some cities- maximum 25% capacity. Could franchises like Phoenix, Florida, and Carolina even get that amount of people into arenas if they wanted to, given the circumstances? Passionate hockey fans are a fraction of passionate football fans in terms of willingness to weather a pandemic to see a game live.

Let's say the NHL comes up with a plan to achieve 50% of pre-pandemic revenue... will the players care to play for 50% of their pre-pandemic salaries?

I for one find it extremely hard to be optimistic that there will be a 2021 season at all. I'd bet on efforts being put towards a full 2021-2022 season.
 

poolparty98

Registered User
Aug 6, 2017
500
231
How about this, play the games and open the arenas, if you dont want to go, dont go!! Lets get this season going.
 

deckercky

Registered User
Oct 27, 2010
9,379
2,452
Just start the season in January like they did in 2013. Play less games. Each team gets home games. But maybe have a maximum of 10k fans per home game.
Not really up to the NHL to determine, as local governments / health authorities have restrictions in place.

BC, for example, has a strict limit of 50 people on any gathering. That limit even applies to drive in theatres!
 

jputt99

Registered User
Nov 24, 2016
173
68
Charlotte NC
I'm thinking the league will try for a 40 game regular season and
then run a standard playoff format . The question is , how will they determine the schedule ? Rumor has it that because of Canadian Co-vid policy , US teams will not be allowed to cross the border . That would mean 7 Canadian teams playing in their own "division" . The other 24 teams could be put into "divisions" of 8 each . Just wondering how this will all play out .
 

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