NHL to make announcement on Return to Play Plan at 4:30 p.m. ET NBCSN, SN, NHLN, TVAS

[crazy8888]

Agree to disagree.

I’ll watch... for free... but the winner will have stopped short of earning it the hard way in my view.

What about the Hawks during the last lockout. What was it a 48 game season? Are they legitimate champs even though 40% of season was not played? Truth is it wont matter historically speaking. Cup is a cup.

 

[FartMilk]

Gee golly... no.

Making long term changes and making changes of convenience are different.


Anyone that wins this tournament has an asterisk.

My view. Doesn’t have to be yours.

——

Let’s try a different side of this debate.

Riddle me this... if you wanted to play rec hockey now... could you?

Baseball leagues?

Basketball?

Hell, my kids can’t even go to school.

In order for any of these games to be played in Canada, the government will have to grant an exemption to the mandatory 14 day quarantine on entry rule we have.

Why bend the rules for rich guys?

It is the uncontrolled spread that has cost Joe and Sally average his/her job.

In what world is a superstar wanting a Cup a good reason to increase the number of potential Super Spreader events?

If the league is finishing the season in a safe manner approved by the medical community, and you're getting hockey back, what the f*** is there to bitch about?

I'd rather watch playoff hockey 10/10 times over being terrible at rec hockey.

 

[Pookie]

What about the Hawks during the last lockout. What was it a 48 game season? Are they legitimate champs even though 40% of season was not played? Truth is it wont matter historically speaking. Cup is a cup.

Here in Toronto, Randy Carlyle coached the Leafs to the first playoff appearance during that lockout season. He then fell out of favour and was fired a few seasons later.

Know what a good portion of the fan base said when confronted with the fact that they made the playoffs under him?

Yep. * it was a shortened season

I think it's nice that the Hawks won a tournament at the end of a shortened season. If it brought you joy... that's fine.

Some people start climbing a mountain half way up. They reach the top and might not consider the helicopter ride to the middle a big deal. It's a nice view after all.

If it makes them happy, all the best.

I might consider someone that started at the bottom and worked their way up to the top of it as having achieved a little more. But each is an achievement and it's up to the holder to be comfortable with it.

 

[Pookie]

If the league is finishing the season in a safe manner approved by the medical community, and you're getting hockey back, what the f*** is there to bitch about?

I'd rather watch playoff hockey 10/10 times over being terrible at rec hockey.

If relaxing mandatory 14 quarantines upon entry into a country are considered "safe manner approved by the medical community"... why do we have them in place right now?

In addition, the USA has a travel ban restricting entry from from the EU. How are these EU based hockey players going to get over here if not through some kind of look the other way exemption?

Did you know that if you travel and contract COVID, your travel insurance won't cover the cost of your treatment? Wonder what happens to NHL players.

Let's talk about travel between cities or hubs. In Canada, we have cases of people being denied the ability to travel to other provinces to attend family funerals... and here we are debating whether Pro Sports should be able to restart.... and presumably travel and potentially infect others within the cities they land in... because you want to watch playoff hockey?

Good for you. Your argument boils down to "I want to"

As I said to my kids when they were 5... that's not a good reason.

Got anything else?

 

[FartMilk]

If relaxing mandatory 14 quarantines upon entry into a country are considered "safe manner approved by the medical community"... why do we have them in place right now?

In addition, the USA has a travel ban restricting entry from from the EU. How are these EU based hockey players going to get over here if not through some kind of look the other way exemption?

Did you know that if you travel and contract COVID, your travel insurance won't cover the cost of your treatment? Wonder what happens to NHL players.

Let's talk about travel between cities or hubs. In Canada, we have cases of people being denied the ability to travel to other provinces to attend family funerals... and here we are debating whether Pro Sports should be able to restart.... and presumably travel and potentially infect others within the cities they land in... because you want to watch playoff hockey?

Good for you. Your argument boils down to "I want to"

As I said to my kids when they were 5... that's not a good reason.

Got anything else?

That's a question for Trudeau and Canadian parliament, not me.

DHS here in the US granted professional athletes essential worker status yesterday allowing foreign travel into the US.

Logic would suggest that the league would use US cities as hub cities if there were issues with the 14-day quarantine in place in Canada.

You really could be answering your own questions. The league would obviously work to alleviate any concerns between player travel and medical safety, don't you think?

The league is not unilaterally running this. If the medical community suddenly says "nope, can't happen at this time", then the league wouldn't do it. It's really that simple.

 

[stonec]

What's the rush in ending it? And where's the logic in ending it?

90% of the regular season was finished. Not 20%. Not 50%.

Starting over from scratch versus finishing a season that was 90% done and three months from a Cup winner doesn't make a bit of sense.

Yet that's what every single hockey league in Europe decided months ago, in Finland we actually finished all bar one regular season games, yet there was never discussion from either player or owner side to somehow continue the season. I believe most European soccer leagues are reaching the same conclusion. These US leagues are the only ones that seem desperate to continue and I reckon it's mainly due to financial motives.

 

[bleedgreen]

There won’t be any asterisks and the team that wins will have won a Stanley cup as much as any other has. The grind has always been the playoffs. It’s always a clean slate, the regular season has little bearing on it. Missing a handful of regular season games only matters to the bubble teams who are going to have it out with each other anyways. It isn’t a perfect setup but it makes some sense.

 

[Ezekial]

Yet that's what every single hockey league in Europe decided months ago, in Finland we actually finished all bar one regular season games, yet there was never discussion from either player or owner side to somehow continue the season. I believe most European soccer leagues are reaching the same conclusion. These US leagues are the only ones that seem desperate to continue and I reckon it's mainly due to financial motives.

Except for Bundesliga (who are already playing games)

and Serie A

and La Liga

and Premier League

Every major soccer league is working on a return plan. Wtf are you going on about?

 

[Pookie]

DHS here in the US granted professional athletes essential worker status yesterday allowing foreign travel into the US.

As I said in an earlier post, you need a back door exemption in order to pursue opening safely.

Please stop with the nonsense that they are following medical directives.

They are not.

They just got an EXEMPTION.

You really could be answering your own questions. The league would obviously work to alleviate any concerns between player travel and medical safety, don't you think?

Here’s the thing. I actually do think.

Here:

Doctor encourages NHLers to consider long-term health risks of COVID-19 - TSN.ca

“Dr. Morris has this message for pro athletes weighing a return to the ice, court or field: make sure your leagues and teams commit in writing to covering the costs of medical care, including rehabilitation, hospitalization, prescriptions and counselling (patients on ventilators can suffer later from post-traumatic stress disorder, he says) for any players who contract COVID-19 during the course of their employment.

“…They should want their health care and income insured, seeing that they are taking an additional risk, especially if residing in the U.S."

Several NHL player agents said they have concerns about ensuring the long-term health coverage of players.

An NHL spokesman did not respond to an email requesting comment.“

The league is not unilaterally running this. If the medical community suddenly says "nope, can't happen at this time", then the league wouldn't do it. It's really that simple.

Holy geez man.

Let’s go back to your first comment.

The exemption.

Did the medical rules change?

No.

Politicians granted an EXEMPTION to the rules at the request of mega rich owners.

It really is that simple.

I totally get your main point though. You want to watch hockey again.

It’s really hard to not watch hockey isn’t it?

 

[Disappointed EP40]

After some careful thought I don't think we'll have to worry about this.

The odds of 24 sets of teams and staff coming together from all over the world and not have one positive case infiltrate?

Someone will test positive after some amount of team practice or even play and it'll just stop.

It's 1919 all over again.

actually, with new protocol, extremely unlikely... but thanks, doc

 

[FartMilk]

Yet that's what every single hockey league in Europe decided months ago, in Finland we actually finished all bar one regular season games, yet there was never discussion from either player or owner side to somehow continue the season. I believe most European soccer leagues are reaching the same conclusion. These US leagues are the only ones that seem desperate to continue and I reckon it's mainly due to financial motives.

Premier League is back.

 

[FartMilk]

As I said in an earlier post, you need a back door exemption in order to pursue opening safely.

Please stop with the nonsense that they are following medical directives.

They are not.

They just got an EXEMPTION.



Here’s the thing. I actually do think.

Here:

Doctor encourages NHLers to consider long-term health risks of COVID-19 - TSN.ca

“Dr. Morris has this message for pro athletes weighing a return to the ice, court or field: make sure your leagues and teams commit in writing to covering the costs of medical care, including rehabilitation, hospitalization, prescriptions and counselling (patients on ventilators can suffer later from post-traumatic stress disorder, he says) for any players who contract COVID-19 during the course of their employment.

“…They should want their health care and income insured, seeing that they are taking an additional risk, especially if residing in the U.S."

Several NHL player agents said they have concerns about ensuring the long-term health coverage of players.

An NHL spokesman did not respond to an email requesting comment.“



Holy geez man.

Let’s go back to your first comment.

The exemption.

Did the medical rules change?

No.

Politicians granted an EXEMPTION to the rules at the request of mega rich owners.

It really is that simple.

I totally get your main point though. You want to watch hockey again.

It’s really hard to not watch hockey isn’t it?

The league only just approved a playoff format for RTP.

We're a long ways away from actually playing. Don't get your balls twisted. You're acting like they're playing tomorrow.

Exemption? Things are happening in phases. It's not as if they're going against medical guidelines. What about this do you not understand? Bettman has said repeatedly, they're heeding the advice of the medical community. For the 64th f***ing time. ONE f***ing doctor is not an entire community, and the doctor isn't even suggesting they don't play either.

No pucks have been dropped. We're a long ways away from actually playing. There is a still a formal process to go through as far as getting the league back in order. If this were a marathon, this is mile 1.

Go be a father or something.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Premier League is back.

no they're not.... otherwise NBCSN would be showing live games, not download or "classic"

 

[FartMilk]

no they're not.... otherwise NBCSN would be showing live games, not download or "classic"

Couple weeks bo.

 

[Pookie]

Exemption? Things are happening in phases. It's not as if they're going against medical guidelines. What about this do you not understand? Bettman has said repeatedly, they're heeding the advice of the medical community. For the 64th f***ing time. ONE f***ing doctor is not an entire community, and the doctor isn't even suggesting they don't play either.

I’m trying to give you credit for being able to comprehend but this is really the last shot.

If you have medical guidelines.

And you get an exemption NOT to follow the medical guidelines.

You are NOT following the medical guidelines.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Couple weeks bo.

no they're not...

 

[FartMilk]

I’m trying to give you credit for being able to comprehend but this is really the last shot.

If you have medical guidelines.

And you get an exemption NOT to follow the medical guidelines.

You are NOT following the medical guidelines.

I really don't understand your issue with the NHL trying to return. They're not having fans. They're using two hub cities. Players will be closely followed. There will be limits on the number of people in/out of buildings. There will be mask and social distance protocols. There will be testing.

You're really just being the old man yelling at the cloud at this point.

The league is not acting cavalier and not acting on it's own. They're not going to do this without the blessing of medical experts, and we're still a long ways from actually playing considering it wouldn't even be until the end of July at the earliest.

 

[FartMilk]

no they're not...

June 17th is exactly three weeks away.

English Premier League has tested 2,752 players and staff for coronavirus — here are the results and a confirmed season-restart date

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

no they're not...

Are you predicting that, despite the league announcing it will resume matches on June 17, conditions will warrant that the league not restart?

Or are you saying the league has not announced it will resume matches on June 17?

[mod]

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Are you predicting that, despite the league announcing it will resume matches on June 17, conditions will warrant that the league not restart?

Or are you saying the league has not announced it will resume matches on June 17?

[mod]

it's been PL Download every weekend since the pandemic......

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

If there wasn’t a virus, they wouldn’t end it.

There’s a virus that ended the season. Restarting the playoffs with a shortened series, round 1 byes?

The winner of this thing... if it even happens.... will not be a true winner of the Cup.

Imagine a team has an outbreak while a series is underway.

Do they forfeit their series? Play with AHL players?

Delay the playoffs again until affected players test negative?

Do governments give quarantine exemptions so rich guys can play hockey? Meanwhile they deny the public the ability to attend funerals?

It raises way too many questions.

Preparing for a play-in round loss, I see.

I'm with you on the health implications for individual players and other workers who will be required for the games to be played. I'm with you on the concern around quarantine/forfeit.

But should the league manage to get through to the end, it'll be a legit Cup. The paramaters for the playoff tournament - who is eligible, how many games must be played - have changed numerous times through the years as you know. This is another modification to those paramaters.

 

[Pookie]

I really don't understand your issue with the NHL trying to return.

It's really ironic you say that with your username.

4 in 10 Americans who vote a certain way don't believe in wearing a mask.

A premature return to business sends the wrong message.

Medical protocol does not allow for youth leagues to return. It does not allow for travel between countries. It does not allow for travel between provinces.

The league is not acting cavalier and not acting on it's own. They're not going to do this without the blessing of medical experts, and we're still a long ways from actually playing considering it wouldn't even be until the end of July at the earliest.

They don't have the blessing of the Medical Experts. The restrictions are still in place.

They have recommendations from the Medical Experts that say, IF you are going to do this... this is how you can reduce your risk.

So again, no blessing from the Medical Experts.

They have an approved exemption from the guy who suggested they study injecting disinfectant into your veins.

----

Let me ask you this... are you in favour of dropping the travel ban from China today?

 

[Pookie]

Preparing for a play-in round loss, I see.

I'm with you on the health implications for individual players and other workers who will be required for the games to be played. I'm with you on the concern around quarantine/forfeit.

But should the league manage to get through to the end, it'll be a legit Cup. The paramaters for the playoff tournament - who is eligible, how many games must be played - have changed numerous times through the years as you know. This is another modification to those paramaters.

My Leafs could have an open net breakaway to win the the Cup and they would hit the post

Not seeing this as legit. Just how I view it. I'm not trying to convince you to join me.

 

[TheOtherOne]

Did you guys see this video of Brian Sims?


So my food for thought is this.
- Congress members purposely hid the fact that they exposed their colleagues to the virus.
- How confident can a player be during this tournament that they aren't secretly being exposed, considering the billions of dollars at risk if an outbreak were to become public knowledge?

 

[member 305909]

I hope a team from the 17-24 seeds went on to win the whole thing. That would be perfect symbolism.