Minnesota Wild General Discussion XI

[Webster]

The only best of 3 series would be the first series to decide the playoff field.

1v2 in each division to decide division winner.
3v6 and 4v5 to decide who else qualifies for the 1st round of the actual playoffs with 7 games series from then on.

No wildcards, each division with 4 teams, standard format, just in neutral location without fans.

So what team will the Wild play in this best of 3?

Another question is where all the teams will play. I thought Minnesota was in good shape when it comes to the coronavirus, but according to CNN this state now has the most new cases per day in the entire country, along with South Dakota. Perhaps they'll play in Canada..

 

[BagHead]

So what team will the Wild play in this best of 3?

Another question is where all the teams will play. I thought Minnesota was in good shape when it comes to the coronavirus, but according to CNN this state now has the most new cases per day in the entire country, along with South Dakota. Perhaps they'll play in Canada..

If I'm reading that right, it'll be against the Dallas Stars.

 

[MuckOG]

The only best of 3 series would be the first series to decide the playoff field.

1v2 in each division to decide division winner.
3v6 and 4v5 to decide who else qualifies for the 1st round of the actual playoffs with 7 games series from then on.

No wildcards, each division with 4 teams, standard format, just in neutral location without fans.

What happens if a player on a team tests positive for the virus? Will the NHL pause the series until both teams complete a 14 day self-isolation and every player has a clean test?

 

[Spurgeon]

So what team will the Wild play in this best of 3?

Another question is where all the teams will play. I thought Minnesota was in good shape when it comes to the coronavirus, but according to CNN this state now has the most new cases per day in the entire country, along with South Dakota. Perhaps they'll play in Canada..

Our testing has ramped up significantly, which explains the increase in cases. Honestly, there's probably a large magnitude of people that have it here, but they just haven't been tested. It's overwhelmingly only lethal to the elderly here (believe something like 80+% of fatalities are those in nursing/assisted living homes), so there's probably a lot of people with mild symptoms that just never have gotten tested.

 

[Spurgeon]

What happens if a player on a team tests positive for the virus? Will the NHL pause the series until both teams complete a 14 day self-isolation and every player has a clean test?

Are businesses going to have to endure a 14 day self-isolation when a worker tests positive?

 

[MuckOG]

Our testing has ramped up significantly, which explains the increase in cases. Honestly, there's probably a large magnitude of people that have it here, but they just haven't been tested. It's overwhelmingly only lethal to the elderly here (believe something like 80+% of fatalities are those in nursing/assisted living homes), so there's probably a lot of people with mild symptoms that just never have gotten tested.

I 100% agree with everything you said.....but I still wonder what will happen should a player test positive once the games begin? How will the teams and the NHL react?

I also don't think its realistic to expect that players will leave their family for 2-3 months so the NHL can finish the season. Dubnyk may have been the first to be vocal, but I'm sure he's not alone and the NHLPA will probably contest any plans for neutral site games that require players be separated from the families.

I certainly hope something can be worked out because I'm dying for some live sports to watch, but I'm getting more pessimistic by the day that it will happen. Especially contact sports like hockey and basketball.

Are businesses going to have to endure a 14 day self-isolation when a worker tests positive?

The workers who had contact with the infected person most definitely have to endure a 14 day self-isolation. My son had to when one of his co-workers tested positive.

 

[Spurgeon]

I 100% agree with everything you said.....but I still wonder what will happen should a player test positive once the games begin? How will the teams and the NHL react?

I also don't think its realistic to expect that players will leave their family for 2-3 months so the NHL can finish the season. Dubnyk may have been the first to be vocal, but I'm sure he's not alone and the NHLPA will probably contest any plans for neutral site games that require players be separated from the families.

I certainly hope something can be worked out because I'm dying for some live sports to watch, but I'm getting more pessimistic by the day that it will happen. Especially contact sports like hockey and basketball.

I just think we're going to have to eventually come to the realization that this virus is going to be around and we're just going to have to do our best to minimize our risks, but continue on with our lives.

Sports need to return, people need to return to their jobs. The point of this lockdown was to flatten the curve, so that we're better prepared to deal with this on a longer-term scale. If a player gets coronavirus, I think you just need to treat it like you would an illness. Have him self-quarantine and then return when he's no longer symptomatic. I would say that a vast majority of the NHL players are going to have very mild symptoms if they do contract it.

 

[MuckOG]

I just think we're going to have to eventually come to the realization that this virus is going to be around and we're just going to have to do our best to minimize our risks, but continue on with our lives.

I've came to this realization weeks ago....but I think it's still the minority opinion and will take some time for the majority to agree.

Sports need to return, people need to return to their jobs. The point of this lockdown was to flatten the curve, so that we're better prepared to deal with this on a longer-term scale. If a player gets coronavirus, I think you just need to treat it like you would an illness. Have him self-quarantine and then return when he's no longer symptomatic. I would say that a vast majority of the NHL players are going to have very mild symptoms if they do contract it.

I don't disagree....but the owners have some liability concerns as well. They don't want to be blamed if a major outbreak can be traced back to one of their facilities. Congress needs to take action and craft some legislation that protects business owners who take reasonable steps to protect their employees and customers from any lawsuits that might come their way.

 

[Spurgeon]

The workers who had contact with the infected person most definitely have to endure a 14 day self-isolation. My son had to when one of his co-workers tested positive.

I feel like that's something that can't realistically continue for much longer. If anyone that came into contact with someone has to endure a 14 day self-isolation, we're going to have lots of labor shortages (very serious concern in food supply lines). We're also going to have a lot of healthy people self-quarantining that never initially contracted the virus that could have the same thing happen to them soon after returning to work.

I don't disagree....but the owners have some liability concerns as well. They don't want to be blamed if a major outbreak can be traced back to one of their facilities. Congress needs to take action and craft some legislation that protects business owners who take reasonable steps to protect their employees and customers from any lawsuits that might come their way.

Very true, I think we'll start to see this stuff get implemented over the coming months. Seems like we're starting to shift to focusing on the re-opening aspect of business. I'm glad I don't work in any form of business or government administration, this situation is an incredibly difficult one to traverse.

 

[Webster]

I just don't see how the league is going to do this. A locker room is not a smart place to be now, and they sit close to each other on the bench, and the water bottles. Lots of contact on the ice, sweat is flying around. If just one player has the virus it's a recipe for disaster. Should at least test all players and staff an hour before a game, since these tests will have a result after 15 minutes.

 

[BagHead]

I just don't see how the league is going to do this. A locker room is not a smart place to be now, and they sit close to each other on the bench, and the water bottles. Lots of contact on the ice, sweat is flying around. If just one player has the virus it's a recipe for disaster. Should at least test all players and staff an hour before a game, since these tests will have a result after 15 minutes.

Yeah, I imagine they'll probably be testing the players very often to make sure it doesn't spread, or at least doesn't spread quickly. I too don't see how the sports world can open back up and not have some of the players get sick as a result. All it takes is one player to have it and not know it, and there are 552 players on 24 teams, if they decide to go through with that particular plan. It's true the world and the world's economies do need to open up again eventually here before a breaking point is reached, but sports... I love sports, but they're a luxury.

 

[TaLoN]

What happens if a player on a team tests positive for the virus? Will the NHL pause the series until both teams complete a 14 day self-isolation and every player has a clean test?

The player would be removed from the lineup, everyone on the team would get tested...I think regular testing would be involved anyway.

Series still goes on.

You know we're going to reach a point where a single case isn't enough to shut back down.

 

[57special]

It's all fun and games till someone like Crosby, Ovi or McDavid tests positive, and is out for 14 days. Then the series, and 2020 Cup will be considered tainted.

 

[TaLoN]

It's all fun and games till someone like Crosby, Ovi or McDavid tests positive, and is out for 14 days. Then the series, and 2020 Cup will be considered tainted.

14 day quarantine is for those exposed to someone testing positive. That's the incubation period.

If you test positive, you are quarantined until negative and 72 hours symptom free. Could be just a few days for those with a mild case or even symptomatic cases.

In this case, those exposed would not get a 14 day quarantine because of regular testing anyway.

 

[57special]

Ok, then if Ovi, Crosby or McDavid is exposed to a team mate/opponent/ref/coach who tests positive then he too will need to be quarantined. My point still stands. Testing is unreliable. It is quite possible to test negative, then positive, the negative.

At this point, we don't know what we don't know.

 

[TaLoN]

Ok, then if Ovi, Crosby or McDavid is exposed to a team mate/opponent/ref/coach who tests positive then he too will need to be quarantined. My point still stands. Testing is unreliable. It is quite possible to test negative, then positive, the negative.

At this point, we don't know what we don't know.

That's the thing, because of daily testing, no they won't have to be quarantined. They test negative, they keep playing.

Just like the UFC kept going this past week despite one of the fighters testing positive. They didn't need to quarantine those exposed to him because the rest tested negative. No quarantine based on contact.

 

[MuckOG]

As much as anyone, I want to see the season re-start, but I'm not as hopeful as many others that it will happen. Just too many logistical hurdles to overcome with the testing, states with different levels of lock down in place (California just extended their lockdown to end of July), etc. I also imagine the players will push back on any plan that requires them to be separated from their families for an extended period.

...and we are already into mid-May, if the season were to resume in July, that means players would need to start gathering for a "training camp" in the next few weeks to get themselves back into game shape. Just not likely, IMO.

 

[Mookie Blaylock]

I miss hockey.

 

[P10p]

Ok, then if Ovi, Crosby or McDavid is exposed to a team mate/opponent/ref/coach who tests positive then he too will need to be quarantined. My point still stands. Testing is unreliable. It is quite possible to test negative, then positive, the negative.

At this point, we don't know what we don't know.

You're being very chicken little about this. People are realizing that this is something we will just have to live with and do our best with. That means not freaking out when someone is diagnosed as though this thing is the black plague. Its not. The chances of this thing hitting hard with professional athletes is microscopic based on the data so far. Most of these athletes will get it and not even know. They will be fine.

 

[MuckOG]

You're being very chicken little about this. People are realizing that this is something we will just have to live with and do our best with. That means not freaking out when someone is diagnosed as though this thing is the black plague. Its not. The chances of this thing hitting hard with professional athletes is microscopic based on the data so far. Most of these athletes will get it and not even know. They will be fine.

That all sounds good until its publicly announced that a player or players have tested positive and still playing, potentially infecting other players. Rightly or wrongly, a PR firestorm will come upon them if they didn't immediately shut it down. I completely get your opinion, but we live in a different world than that.

 

[TaLoN]

That all sounds good until its publicly announced that a player or players have tested positive and still playing

That won't happen though. A player that tests positive will be removed from the lineup. That's already been part of the discussion.

A player testing positive will get that player out of the lineup until a negative test and 72hrs symptom free. What won't be required, is a shutdown of the entire team because one player tests positive.

 

[MuckOG]

That won't happen though. A player that tests positive will be removed from the lineup. That's already been part of the discussion.

A player testing positive will get that player out of the lineup until a negative test and 72hrs symptom free. What won't be required, is a shutdown of the entire team because one player tests positive.

When was this plan announced?

 

[TaLoN]

When was this plan announced?

Not announced, but that's the plan under discussion to restart in July.

 

[MuckOG]

Not announced, but that's the plan under discussion to restart in July.

Where has this been reported?

 

[TaLoN]

Where has this been reported?

It was back in late April, early May... I can't find the exact link it was discussed in, but here's something showing they were discussing "one or multiple positives" won't be enough to shut back down once started..

https://nypost.com/2020/04/25/nhl-coronavirus-restart-plans-intensify-new-host-cities-emerge/

Friday night, deputy commissioner Daly told TSN’s Ryan Rishaug, “Everything depends on the facts and entire set of circumstances, but no, we do not believe that one positive test, or even multiple positive tests [would] necessarily shut the whole thing down.”

Following that, Daly told Slap Shots in an email exchange, “Of course people who test positive would be immediately removed from the mix.”

Asked if he could clarify his statements in the interview, Daly said, “Everything depends on precise circumstances. I’m not about to go through a million fact patterns that are different and completely hypothetical.