NHL 2020-2021 season start/schedule

[LadyStanley]

31 Thoughts: Players make unified anti-racism statement from bubble - Sportsnet.ca

I don’t believe there will a bubble (or bubbles) next season. The players won’t want it, and, quite frankly, neither will the owners. They’ll want a path towards attendance and will wait as long as possible to try and see one. I do think one season of regionalized travel is possible, with teams playing back-to-backs in one city. Yes, that could mean a Canadian Division, for one year only.

I agree with Friedman. Players want to play for fans. Owners want ticket income.

But I definitely could see more fan-player separation (to keep the latter healthy), and "division" only play to reduce impact. Back-to-backs. Interesting.

Separation could include no open practices, limited meet-and-greets/fewer charity involvements (more one-on-one, less "come one, come all").

 

[Bucky_Hoyt]

A friend of mine mentioned he heard the NHL and NBA were considering bubbles to start next season. While I am sure they are considering it, I do not see it happening. 1) I do not think the players would agree to get bubbled for an entire season. Especially those with families. They could allow families in the bubble, but would be a problem with players with school-age children. 2) I do not think with the schedule it would be practical to use only 1 rink. They would need to be in areas with more than 1 NHL sized arena within a reasonable drive of the hotels. NYC area has MSG, Barclays (yeah right), Prudential, Nassau Coliseum. Not sure if Brendan Byrne (old Devils arena at the Meadowlands) could be used. Toronto has the Leafs arena and Ricoh, but not sure league would be ok with Ricoh. I guess you could use Staples and the Honda Center in LA/Anaheim. Any other areas that have similar set-ups? I think they would insist on NHL size rinks for the cameras. Every now and then I will get a daily pass for AHLtv and watch a few games and the camera angles are often terrible, same when I would watch some junior games on a certain site that gets edited out on here that is now defunct. I could be completely wrong, but I just don't see a bubble happening for a regular season.

Agreed.

Canadian cities with 2 current/former NHL rinks still standing are:

Vancouver (Rogers Arena & Pacific Coliseum - but likely need some reconfig)

Edmonton (Rogers Place & Northlands - only 4 seasons since the Oilers moved out)

Ottawa (CTC & TD Place - but was only ever a temporary facility)

Doesn't leave much choice and in another thread I raised the question about feeder leagues also operating in the same bubbles as parent clubs. This is assuming hockey wouldn't go the "taxi-squad" route that MLB has.

If they were to house at least the AHL clubs in the same city bubbles with the parent clubs, deffo gonna need way more than 2 rinks.

If it was only going to happen in Canada, Vancouver could still be a viable option if they housed say half of the NHL and AHL clubs as it has Thunderbird, Langley Events and Abbotsford Centre and practice facilities throughout the metro.

Maybe the GTA leaning on surrounding cities with University, OHL, AHL rinks could possibly work, too?

Could Montreal do the same, possibly with a combined Ottawa bubble? Would be a real stretch as they're over 200km apart.

Seems like a logistical and OSHA nightmare, no matter what.

 

[Cynicaps]

If they were willing to take some college rinks, would Boston work? TD Garden + Bright over at Harvard + Agannis at BU + Matthews at Northeastern + Conte at BC would total five. Better than an NYC that peters off after MSG, Prudential, and Barclays.

 

[Stumbledore]

If they were willing to take some college rinks, would Boston work? TD Garden + Bright over at Harvard + Agannis at BU + Matthews at Northeastern + Conte at BC would total five. Better than an NYC that peters off after MSG, Prudential, and Barclays.

I think they will only accept rinks which are capable of providing sufficient technology to support a telecast of the game, both within the building and in the proverbial truck.

 

[LadyStanley]

Only cities with NHL rinks were in final consideration for the current bubble. It was the "behind the house" needs the NHL was looking for.

I don't know how many non-current NHL rinks have the needed facilities. (But all of the schools/universities and other venues the NHL reviewed were removed from consideration)

 

[perrykaravello]

Even as a Canucks fan with a team still kicking around (barely), it's not the same and I have no interest at all in another bubble season in any capacity and I don't see how the players or anyone involved with the NHL would want to continue it again in a couple months.

 

[TheLegend]

Wyshynski with a very comprehensive look at what could be the 2020-21 season....

What we're hearing about the 2020-21 NHL season

-- January start more likely.
-- 60-65 game schedule.
-- More bubble hockey a possibility.
-- Limited attendance a possibility.

Owners are preparing to take a bath.

 

[joestevens29]

Agreed.

Canadian cities with 2 current/former NHL rinks still standing are:

Vancouver (Rogers Arena & Pacific Coliseum - but likely need some reconfig)

Edmonton (Rogers Place & Northlands - only 4 seasons since the Oilers moved out)

Ottawa (CTC & TD Place - but was only ever a temporary facility)

Doesn't leave much choice and in another thread I raised the question about feeder leagues also operating in the same bubbles as parent clubs. This is assuming hockey wouldn't go the "taxi-squad" route that MLB has.

If they were to house at least the AHL clubs in the same city bubbles with the parent clubs, deffo gonna need way more than 2 rinks.

If it was only going to happen in Canada, Vancouver could still be a viable option if they housed say half of the NHL and AHL clubs as it has Thunderbird, Langley Events and Abbotsford Centre and practice facilities throughout the metro.

Maybe the GTA leaning on surrounding cities with University, OHL, AHL rinks could possibly work, too?

Could Montreal do the same, possibly with a combined Ottawa bubble? Would be a real stretch as they're over 200km apart.

Seems like a logistical and OSHA nightmare, no matter what.

Northlands isn't an option in Edmonton. They started stripping shit out of there awhile back. Pretty sure ice plant is gone

 

[S E P H]

Wyshynski with a very comprehensive look at what could be the 2020-21 season....

What we're hearing about the 2020-21 NHL season

-- January start more likely.
-- 60-65 game schedule.
-- More bubble hockey a possibility.
-- Limited attendance a possibility.

Owners are preparing to take a bath.

Ligue 1, which started in August is allowing 5,000 fans in attendance to their games.

 

[Pandemonia]

Ligue 1, which started in August is allowing 5,000 fans in attendance to their games.

Outdoor soccer stadiums. Most Ligue 1 home have about 40K seats. Filling 1 seat in 8 for outdoor venue, probly totally safe.

 

[S E P H]

Outdoor soccer stadiums. Most Ligue 1 home have about 40K seats. Filling 1 seat in 8 for outdoor venue, probly totally safe.

Not really, majority of the stadium is shutdown except for the lower bowl. Reducing the entire seating to one section could be worse for potential infection transmission.

 

[Pandemonia]

Not really, majority of the stadium is shutdown except for the lower bowl. Reducing the entire seating to one section could be worse for potential infection transmission.

Theyre not reducing anything to one section. Photos of the Lens Stadium, capacity 40K, shows them using the whole place, using every 8th seat.

Lots of them larger. Lyon 60K, Marseille 70K, Paris 50K, Bordeaux 45K, cant remember the rest but all of them could let in 5K fans and separate them safely.

 

[Stumbledore]

Theyre not reducing anything to one section. Photos of the Lens Stadium, capacity 40K, shows them using the whole place, using every 8th seat.

Lots of them larger. Lyon 60K, Marseille 70K, Paris 50K, Bordeaux 45K, cant remember the rest but all of them could let in 5K fans and separate them safely.

I fumbled my way into FuboTV this morning and checked out the soccer game at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens, France, on August 29, 2020. I didn't actually watch the game (still not THAT desperate for sport to want to watch soccer) but you were right about the safety of the crowd. Maybe 1 seat in 10 was used and that was being generous.

Again, outdoor crowd so the fan spacing wouldn't work for the NHL.

By the way, according to the Ligue 1 website, the Stade has 38,185 seats, not 40K.

 

[LadyStanley]

And some off season date changes

 

[LadyStanley]

https://player.fm/1BDJJAg

Daly on 2Man Advantage podcast.
Bubble life, 20-21 season and more

 

[Anisimovs AK]

I've proposed bubbles based on what region of North America each team is from

Eastern - All American teams in Eastern Conference except Columbus and Detroit
Central - All American teams in Central Time Zone plus Columbus and Detroit
Western - All American teams in Mountain and Pacific Time Zones
Canadian - All Canadian teams

All bubbles would be in Canada. It would be the first NHL season to take place entirely in Canada since 1923-24.

Bettman may have to realize that 82 games is not realistic.

Why move Detroit and Columbus arbitrarily back into a grouping of teams notnin the same timezone when they scratched and clawed so hard to change that aspect of their existence?

 

[Anisimovs AK]

Is there money to be made playing 82 games with no fans in the stands and the barely any money from US tv, not mentioning the US/canada border is still close with blue jays having to play all their home games in the USA

The league receives around $800 million a year for its media rights.


So yes there is money to be made playing games without fans

 

[Shrimper]

Staggered bubble hockey is possible whilst things are sorted out.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

Why move Detroit and Columbus arbitrarily back into a grouping of teams notnin the same timezone when they scratched and clawed so hard to change that aspect of their existence?

For this season only, those two would play only each other and the central time teams. It would be a big deal if games with a CTZ team as the nominal home team were to start at 7 ET/6 CT fans of Central time teams are used to these starts. Plus CBJ and DET could mandate that this bubble be located in the ETZ, which if we're limiting to Canadian cities again, would mean only Montreal, Ottawa or Toronto could be the location of the bubble.

 

[GordonGraham]

The league receives around $800 million a year for its media rights.


So yes there is money to be made playing games without fans

800M divided by 31 so 26M per team when payroll is at 60+M

 

[tarheelhockey]

800M divided by 31 so 26M per team when payroll is at 60+M

Bingo.

Teams spending to the cap will be facing something in the order of a $20-50 million shortfall based on media rights being the only source of revenue. You can throw in some other marginal sources like rink advertising, but realistically nothing is going to move a $50 million needle.

Even if fans are allowed back into arenas at something like 20%-30% capacity, those teams will still be facing shortfalls in the tens of millions based on player salaries alone. And then you add back in all the costs associated with running those games, travel, etc and you end up right back in the same ballpark of unsustainable red ink.

The CBA extension signed earlier this year says that salaries cannot be renegotiated for this season. There's really not an option to make this make sense financially without full arenas. Hell, even when individual teams are at 70% capacity we get relocation threads... it should go without saying that if the entire league is at less than half that level, it would be fundamentally destabilizing.

So the choice is very simple -- either face fundamental destabilization, or pull the plug until normal conditions are restored.

 

[Pandemonia]

For this season only, those two would play only each other and the central time teams. It would be a big deal if games with a CTZ team as the nominal home team were to start at 7 ET/6 CT fans of Central time teams are used to these starts. Plus CBJ and DET could mandate that this bubble be located in the ETZ, which if we're limiting to Canadian cities again, would mean only Montreal, Ottawa or Toronto could be the location of the bubble.

Youll have to sort it out all over again when more people scrap DST and stay on same time all year long like more of the world is moving to.

 

[coolboarder]

Outdoor soccer stadiums. Most Ligue 1 home have about 40K seats. Filling 1 seat in 8 for outdoor venue, probly totally safe.

You could easily build two rinks in an outdoor football stadium if there is no fans. Could easily fit in 4 to 6 games a day, tripleheader. Maybe 16 teams in one bubble if you play in an indoor football stadium for places like BC Place, or Olympic Stadium with Rogers Arena being used and Bell Center. For US, Ford Field for the games after NFL seasons is over. Is it feasible? I don't think so but if they can afford it with discount price, surely they could build two ice rinks with already existing arena facility. Pro: saving a charter flight costs. Cons: players might not go for it unless their families is allowed in the bubble. Too expensive for hotel costs.

 

[JMCx4]

... Cons: players might not go for it unless their families is allowed in the bubble. Too expensive for hotel costs.

More Cons: Season would have to be compressed into two or maybe three months, for safe & competitive ice conditions to be maintainable. NHLPA would be foolish to accept that many games squeezed in to such a short regular season, for the risks to player health & longevity. Paying viewership numbers would diminish quickly as the outdoor game novelty wore off (if that novelty hasn't already worn off with the NHL's saturation of outdoor events in the normal season calendar). I'm sure there are MANY more Cons, but I didn't wanna hog 'em all.

 

[LadyStanley]

Paywall
A deepish dive into what factors impact playing 2020-21 season.

NHLPA soliciting players to participate in committee to work through issues.

Could be as bad as no season played, to compressed season to abbreviated seaaon.

One major factor will be US-Canada border.

Might have to do baseball-similar schedule with teams playing 3-4 games vs one team to reduce travel.

Another option might be mini bubbles where teams come in for 2 weeks and rotate home.

Some teams could survive with 50% capacity allowed.


Lots unknown, lots of TBDs.