NHL 2020-2021 season start/schedule

robertocarlos

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Sep 19, 2014
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Season could be delayed until January. Still want to play 82 games and regular, not expanded, playoffs but don't want to play in summer. So what's that, 27 games a month. Something has to give.
 
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robertocarlos

Registered User
Sep 19, 2014
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The league receives around $800 million a year for its media rights.


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

The NHL lives pretty high on the hog and there is a minimum amount they have to spend to maintain that life-style of 5 star hotels on the road and 1st class travel. What they pay the players does not matter at all as long as the revenue is 2X what they spend on operations. Obviously each team pulls in a different revenue but that's another topic. I doubt they go full commie and share equally.

So yes they don't even need fans if they get enough TV and merchandise revenue to cover 2X club expenses excluding player salaries.
 

Shrimper

Trick or ruddy treat
Feb 20, 2010
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283 days from December 1st to July 31st I think.
June and July for the playoffs.
That means 221 days to play 82 games. The 2018-19 season was played in 186 days.
It is doable, tight if you start in January.
 

Rob

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Feb 27, 2002
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I don't think they'll have any choice but to have another bubble season. The US-Canada will most likely still be closed to non-essetnail travel.
 

adsfan

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May 31, 2008
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I don't think they'll have any choice but to have another bubble season. The US-Canada will most likely still be closed to non-essetnail travel.

I think that you are correct. I don't like it, but COVID-19 cases are increasing where I live. Too many deniers not wearing masks or social distancing. A few schools have opened to in-person classes and the cases are jumping.
 
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Headshot77

Bad Photoshopper
Feb 15, 2015
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Many schools and colleges are not "re-opening" physically, staying virtually. So, families could be kept together in a bubble.

But I just don't see the appetite for players to restart bubble life.

It's also crazy expensive (to league) to operate bubble.
Maybe we can play virtual hockey games
 

Shrimper

Trick or ruddy treat
Feb 20, 2010
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I could see a December start if they do the first month in a bubble. Not a full month but December 1st to 22nd is 21 days. Smaller bubbles than the play offs. Split divisions into two i.e

Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh, Carolina in Washington. Play each other three times.
 
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vorky

@vorkywh24
Jan 23, 2010
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I do not know what NA media says about NHL´s costs of the bubble. But Roman Rotenberg, SKA Petersburg VP, says the NHL pays around 100 million USD for the bubble.
 

Flukeshot

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Feb 19, 2004
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I could see a December start if they do the first month in a bubble. Not a full month but December 1st to 22nd is 21 days. Smaller bubbles than the play offs. Split divisions into two i.e

Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh, Carolina in Washington. Play each other three times.

I think something like this will need to be incorporated to keep the game count up. Limited opponents, limited travel and the whole schedule happening in stages.

I could even imagine they could announce the first half of the schedule with restrictions and hold off determining the schedule for the 2nd half or having it be conditional on no restrictions.
 

LionsHeart

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Mar 25, 2009
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I think we get the next season in January. The league has to play. They might operate at a loss and feel a lot of pain, but the impact of losing a season would be even worse.

They also have a much tighter window because of the Summer Olympics.
 
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robertocarlos

Registered User
Sep 19, 2014
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I think we get the next season in January. The league has to play. They might operate at a loss and feel a lot of pain, but the impact of losing a season would be even worse.

They also have a much tighter window because of the Summer Olympics.

They might get in 42 games and a playoffs through 4 separate bubble seasons at 4 or more locations but A: they would be pushing their covid luck and B: they wouldn't make much money and might even lose money.

I think hockey, like a lot of things, is done for some time.

Maybe the Swedish model will be our future. Just horrible choices.
 

LionsHeart

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Mar 25, 2009
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Queens, NY
They might get in 42 games and a playoffs through 4 separate bubble seasons at 4 or more locations but A: they would be pushing their covid luck and B: they wouldn't make much money and might even lose money.

I think hockey, like a lot of things, is done for some time.

Maybe the Swedish model will be our future. Just horrible choices.

They have to have a season though. Their TV deal is up after next season. Losing out on a season would be a disaster. If they play a season they’d be operating a loss, but they’d make more money in the long run. Coming to a network after losing a season would be a complete nightmare.
 
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Merya

Jokerit & Finland; anti-theist
Sep 23, 2008
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I hope the Players Association is smart and gives the finger to Bettman's insanity of having 82 game season.
 

albator71

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Jan 12, 2010
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They have to have a season though. Their TV deal is up after next season. Losing out on a season would be a disaster. If they play a season they’d be operating a loss, but they’d make more money in the long run. Coming to a network after losing a season would be a complete nightmare.
I agree with you 100%, there's no way in hell that they dont play next season, there will be a season, they will find a way, not playing is not an option period.
 

royals119

Registered User
Jun 12, 2006
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I hope the Players Association is smart and gives the finger to Bettman's insanity of having 82 game season.
If they do, they will have to figure out a way to account for the decrease in revenue, and the impact on the cap. The deal they made over the summer stabilized things somewhat, but the players are still going to "owe the owners money" down the road. Cutting games for 20-21 means they either have to cut salaries for 20-21, or increase their "debt load" for future seasons. They may decide a full season is in their best interest, or they may not be able to come to an agreement among the union, or between the union and the owners, to solve the financial issues, and be forced to stick with the current plan.
 

Fenway

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Sep 26, 2007
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Gary Bettman: Bubbles for a full NHL season 'just doesn't work'


The commissioner of the NHL discusses being able to save the 2019-20 season, how life in the bubble is like for the league's staff, being able to keep the quarantine zones free of COVID-19, the league's initiatives to become more diverse, how the pandemic has changed the future for his sport, the tentative start date for the 2020-21 campaign, and possibly using bubbles again for next season.
 

LadyStanley

Registered User
Sep 22, 2004
105,727
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Sin City


I'm thinking they get at least an extra week.

But still very preliminary discussions happening. No decisions yet.
 

Ernie

Registered User
Aug 3, 2004
12,759
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The border is a major wrinkle. Three possible options:

1. Canadian teams to relocate to the US as long as there is a quarantine rule in effect
2. Set up a Canadian division
3. Long road trips when crossing borders, allowing time to quarantine.

Players wouldn't love option 1 as it would be hard for their families. Option 2 would be awesome but you'd need to also do just divisional play for the US teams. Option 3 would be tough to do in an already time limited season.

My preferred format would be to set up a Canadian division, and re-jig the rest of the divisions. All games in the beginning of the year are intra-divisional. Towards the end of the season have each division play each other, but all at once to decrease chances of covid spreading (ie division 1 swings through division 2, division 3 swings through division 4, and so on). Then wrap up with a intra-divisional round robin before the playoffs.
 

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