Le Barron de HF
Justin make me proud
Was reading an article about when the next season should begin and it doesn't look good... Here are some tidbits:
- If the U.S./Canada border remains closed beyond the time when the NHL is ready to begin next season, it’s possible a one-time, all-Canadian division would be an option or at least beginning play with the Canadian teams playing only in Canada.
- Multiples sources at various levels and positions in hockey told The Athletic they believe it’s much more likely the start of next season is pushed back to, at the very earliest, early January 2021 – and even that is marked by a host of qualifiers.
- If there aren’t bubbles and teams are flying from city to city a la Major League Baseball, there are some lessons from that model.
For instance, one facilities expert said, NHL teams could all use the same hotels in a given city to establish protocol for check-ins, cleaning, etc.
Take it a step further, he suggested, restaurants could be designated in those cities where teams would congregate to help reduce the risk of exposure to COVID. Or teams simply agree to eat all their meals in the team rooms in the hotels.
If the teams are traveling from city to city, one team president suggested the baseball model of playing three or four games against the same opponent to try and cut down on the amount of travel, thus reducing costs and the risk of the virus’s spread.
- In the end, the better question might be: does it even work economically to have say 6,000 fans in an 18,000 building if restrictions keep occupancy at 25 or 30 percent?A number of executives and industry observers suggest it does not and that at least 10,000 fans would be needed for teams to break even on costs
- If the U.S./Canada border remains closed beyond the time when the NHL is ready to begin next season, it’s possible a one-time, all-Canadian division would be an option or at least beginning play with the Canadian teams playing only in Canada.
- Multiples sources at various levels and positions in hockey told The Athletic they believe it’s much more likely the start of next season is pushed back to, at the very earliest, early January 2021 – and even that is marked by a host of qualifiers.
- If there aren’t bubbles and teams are flying from city to city a la Major League Baseball, there are some lessons from that model.
For instance, one facilities expert said, NHL teams could all use the same hotels in a given city to establish protocol for check-ins, cleaning, etc.
Take it a step further, he suggested, restaurants could be designated in those cities where teams would congregate to help reduce the risk of exposure to COVID. Or teams simply agree to eat all their meals in the team rooms in the hotels.
If the teams are traveling from city to city, one team president suggested the baseball model of playing three or four games against the same opponent to try and cut down on the amount of travel, thus reducing costs and the risk of the virus’s spread.
- In the end, the better question might be: does it even work economically to have say 6,000 fans in an 18,000 building if restrictions keep occupancy at 25 or 30 percent?A number of executives and industry observers suggest it does not and that at least 10,000 fans would be needed for teams to break even on costs
