OHL 2020-21 season start, etc (waiting on official notification of cancellation)

LadyStanley

Registered User
Sep 22, 2004
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Sin City
@S E P H the OHL does not have the same financial resources that the NHL teams do to have $$s for cleaning, testing, and can take the financial hit for running a season with no fans in the stands.

(And make no mistake, a number of NHL teams are stretched thin financially by this, even with many lines of credit available to the teams. And knowing it'll be years before things are "repaid".)

Finances might be more a driving factor than medical/health issues.
 

S E P H

Cloud IX
Mar 5, 2010
30,688
16,224
Toruń, PL
@S E P H the OHL does not have the same financial resources that the NHL teams do to have $$s for cleaning, testing, and can take the financial hit for running a season with no fans in the stands.

(And make no mistake, a number of NHL teams are stretched thin financially by this, even with many lines of credit available to the teams. And knowing it'll be years before things are "repaid".)

Finances might be more a driving factor than medical/health issues.
Then why WHL and LHJMQ start their seasons? You bring up great points about finances, but thinking that a four month summer and some vaccines (which Canada haven't even gotten yet) will change the fate is just naive from them. Especially when you consider that the Brasilian strain is the one who effected the Canucks so it's in the country of Canada (and will probably spread). I understand that the entire CHL is a gate-run league in for a profit, but they also need to acknowledge that they're a development league first with a lot of prospects choosing their eligibility to play for the league and not for the NCAA or some other place.
 

ColinM

Registered User
Dec 14, 2004
887
160
Halifax
Then why WHL and LHJMQ start their seasons? You bring up great points about finances, but thinking that a four month summer and some vaccines (which Canada haven't even gotten yet) will change the fate is just naive from them. Especially when you consider that the Brasilian strain is the one who effected the Canucks so it's in the country of Canada (and will probably spread). I understand that the entire CHL is a gate-run league in for a profit, but they also need to acknowledge that they're a development league first with a lot of prospects choosing their eligibility to play for the league and not for the NCAA or some other place.

Each circumstances are different, but in the Maritimes we were allowed small crowds and had a shortened season. I think in Quebec's case they simply threw caution to the wind. But I guess a short season is better than none at all.
 

LadyStanley

Registered User
Sep 22, 2004
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Sin City
As I said a few posts ago, I think the decision was made about a week ago, but the had ducks to get in a row, cats to herd, etc., before they could make it official

Sponsors, STH, advertisers, etc., to determine refunds, rebates, etc.
 

LadyStanley

Registered User
Sep 22, 2004
105,522
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Paywall. (If you download app, you can read 3 articles/month for free)

Those drafted prospects whose NHL team found them a place to play (AHL, etc.) may have chance to continue development. But overagers SOL.
 

vorky

@vorkywh24
Jan 23, 2010
11,400
1,268
Then why WHL and LHJMQ start their seasons? You bring up great points about finances, but thinking that a four month summer and some vaccines (which Canada haven't even gotten yet) will change the fate is just naive from them. Especially when you consider that the Brasilian strain is the one who effected the Canucks so it's in the country of Canada (and will probably spread). I understand that the entire CHL is a gate-run league in for a profit, but they also need to acknowledge that they're a development league first with a lot of prospects choosing their eligibility to play for the league and not for the NCAA or some other place.
Just a few general points here.

I read somewhere the Memorial Cup is cancelled again, then CHL leagues having serious issues to even play this season. Some says the CHL are the best juniors leagues in the world. I ask, how is it possible they can not even play the season? The best leagues on planet! Look, the MHL (Russian junior) is playing the 2020-2021 without any issues, players & all staff are tested on COVID regularly, fans are allowed in arena. Why? Why is it possible in Russia and not possible in Canada?

You say about finances. Why does not the NHL help them? It would not hurt the NHL owners. Look, the KHL finances the regular COVID testing in 3 leagues (KHL, MHL & Women league) for all 2020-2021 years. As you know, the KHL has teams from multiple countries (not just two countries as in NA, so it is more complicated to manage it). According to the official data - the latest stats show that by March 29, 2021, the clubs of the KHL, MHL and Women’s Hockey League, plus the refereeing brigade for the leagues, were subject to 129,044 COVID tests. Of those, 111,720 were PCR tests, and 17,324 used the IgG+IgA methodology. Officialy, the KHL spent over 2 million euro on COVID testing in 2020 year (so, it will be more after all 2020-21 season). So, it is not that expensive.

KHL VP Guskov, who is responsible for MHL, said one true sentence in an interview: "the MHL is the only top junior league in the world, which started their 2020-21 campaing on time & keeps playing the season without any serious issues with COVID." Now, they play the playoff final, 3-1 for Dynamo Moscow over Loko.

If one virus is able to shut down your leagues, then your leagues having serious issues with their fundamental cornerstones. By using other words, the leagues are not healthy.
 

LadyStanley

Registered User
Sep 22, 2004
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Sin City


Sharks GM DW, and player development guys DWjr and Burke talk off season, and lots of draft questions.

DW jr does not think that OHL players (31 or so for entire draft) not being able to play a season isn't that big a deal. The Sharks were pleasantly surprised at the (physical) development some prospects did without playing any games this season from Zoom meetings.
 

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