TSN: What's a realistic start date for the NHL to target?

Coachcorner

Senor Martinez
Sep 28, 2017
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4,989
That is the question like my man shakespeare told me. They are treally popping that thang up at tsn right now as we speak here and continue to read these great articles and analysiz by their professional "guys". Like us wiseguys used to say: "Don't joke around wiseguys. Silence is sometimes golden." But that's another thing and story for real sires and sirettes.
Here it lies and is: What's a realistic start date for the NHL to target?
What does y'all think is the most realisticests days for the start now and why so?
 

justashadowof

Registered User
Aug 15, 2020
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That other news about MLSE's staffing reductions suggests that MLSE doesn't think hockey or basketball is coming back for a considerable time.

Otherwise who knows? I've suggested before that it's pointless for these leagues to return without the ability to collect gate receipts. The broadcasters are also taking a huge hit. In the New Year, I expect that advertising budgets at major corporations are going to be slashed aggressively. And for the advertisers who stay, the viewership was down for both leagues' empty stadium products compared to other years so advertising rates are going to decline.

Oops, didn't answer the question. I'm guessing the Spring like April or May for when hockey returns. They'll prefer to start it up when the weather warming up.
 

Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
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51,521
I want to see the season come online as much as any other fan, but with the timing of the vaccine being what it is, it seems like it would make more financial sense for the league to roll contracts back a season and resume a normal 82 game 2021-22 season with fans in the stands than to attempt a truncated season where they lose hundreds of millions of dollars.
 

TheTotalPackage

Registered User
Sep 14, 2006
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February 1st I’d say is the next target to focus on. January 1st would require a miracle.

But seeing what’s going on in the States and even here in Canada, I question if a shortened season can be finished even if it gets off the ground.
 
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Azail

Registered User
Oct 11, 2017
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I want to see the season come online as much as any other fan, but with the timing of the vaccine being what it is, it seems like it would make more financial sense for the league to roll contracts back a season and resume a normal 82 game 2021-22 season with fans in the stands than to attempt a truncated season where they lose hundreds of millions of dollars.
I am not saying I disagree fully, but isn't there hundreds of millions of dollars of TV deals still that they would lose? Although maybe they would lose less by not playing and not having to pay the players and other hockey related expenses.
 

Azail

Registered User
Oct 11, 2017
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February 1st I’d say is the next target to focus on. January 1st would require a miracle.

But seeing what’s going on in the States and even here in Canada, I question if a shortened season can be finished even if it gets off the ground.
Without a doubt there would be re-scheduled games, or games without multiple players playing due to COVID infections. The NFL has managed to do it, albeit with quite a few hiccups along the way so far, and it might get worse.
 

Fogelhund

Registered User
Sep 15, 2007
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I had thought, that they players and owners would come to an agreement, and we'd probably see hockey in the middle of January, to maybe Feb 1st as a start.... now comes this news.

MLSE cuts salaries for full-time staff, extends management and executive reductions

TORONTO, S.D. - Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment says it is cutting the salaries of up to one quarter of its full-time staff, and extending salary reductions for senior management and executives to deal with the financial impact of COVID-19.
The company that owns Toronto professional sports teams including the Maple Leafs, the Raptors and the Argonauts as well as sports venues, says up to 25 per cent of full-time staff will be moved to temporary inactive status.
Extended management and executive salary reductions will be effective Jan. 1.
Affected employees will remain on MLSE payroll at a reduced salary, retain their benefits and pension and maintain their access to all corporate communication tools to remain current on MLSE’s operations.
MLSE says the length of time employees will remain inactive will be based on its ability to return to normal business operations.
Professional sports has been disrupted by the pandemic with hockey games played in empty arenas, football matches cancelled altogether and NBA games having been played in Florida.
“These past nine months have been the most challenging we have ever experienced, and while we had hoped to see signs of a return to a more normal business operations by now, the effects of the second wave of the pandemic have forced us to brace for further uncertainty,” stated president and CEO Michael Friisdahl.

After months and months of continuing to pay these people, to decide now, January 1st, they are making this move... that doesn't sound like an organization that will be preparing for training camp and games any time soon. It's looking like the season is lost at this point. Unless something drastic changes, quite quickly, that's pretty much it.
 

Buds17

Registered User
Nov 29, 2015
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Whenever it is, we seem to be moving further and further away from it as each day passes with no news regarding it. That hopeful mid-December training camp and early January start isn't looking all that promising.
 
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hamzarocks

Registered User
Jul 22, 2012
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Side question... if there is no season, I wonder how they will determine the 2021 NHL draft order?
If there is no season our players contracts are frozen right? They would still have the same number of years remaining as they would have entering the year had there been a season?

Draft lotto they may just have 32 team lotto with weighting based on last 3-4 years for playoff appearances. Teams who made it each of those years (potentially leafs if NHL counts the playins as playoffs for potential lotto) would get the lowest odds(balls) in the lottery while the sabres/panthers/coyotes would be among the highest odd teams

Why 2020 NHL draft lottery could throw back to 2005 Crosby Sweepstakes - Sportsnet.ca

This is an article explaining the 2005 system
 

SoftDumpNtheCorner88

Registered User
Jul 5, 2020
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I want to see the season come online as much as any other fan, but with the timing of the vaccine being what it is, it seems like it would make more financial sense for the league to roll contracts back a season and resume a normal 82 game 2021-22 season with fans in the stands than to attempt a truncated season where they lose hundreds of millions of dollars.
100% agree with you there, but I wouldn't mind a first half empty, than make an event midway through to have every game pack their arena(after vaccine) and see how the standings change with those huge intangibles coming in midway.

I'd hope every crowd will be anxious to have something to cheer for again and be more animated for the event. Night even boost exposure if they did it that way
 

Cor

I am a bot
Jun 24, 2012
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Side question... if there is no season, I wonder how they will determine the 2021 NHL draft order?

Likely a weighted one, like in 2005.

If there is no season our players contracts are frozen right? They would still have the same number of years remaining as they would have entering the year had there been a season?

Draft lotto they may just have 32 team lotto with weighting based on last 3-4 years for playoff appearances. Teams who made it each of those years (potentially leafs if NHL counts the playins as playoffs for potential lotto) would get the lowest odds(balls) in the lottery while the sabres/panthers/coyotes would be among the highest odd teams

Why 2020 NHL draft lottery could throw back to 2005 Crosby Sweepstakes - Sportsnet.ca

This is an article explaining the 2005 system

No, player contracts would still advance, just like the lockout year in 2005.

So that means as of now, there is a slight chance we’ve seen the last game of Freddy Andersen or Zach Hyman in a Leafs jersey and may not see Thornton in one at all.

I think we’ll have a season, so I don’t think that will be the case, but technically a non zero chance
 

Mess

Global Moderator
Feb 27, 2002
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Season will be lost. No hockey until September 2021.

This is also my best guess at this point.

It would allow the next season to start on regular schedule if they skip this one due to the virus. Once we have a large part of the population vaccinated including players which will take through the summer months in both USA and Canada it will be safe to play and have fans in the seats.

Without the fans in the building driving revenue and payroll for a lot of teams Owners would not be too eager to play this shortened 2020 season. IMO
 

Golden_Jet

Registered User
Sep 21, 2005
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If there is no season our players contracts are frozen right? They would still have the same number of years remaining as they would have entering the year had there been a season?

Draft lotto they may just have 32 team lotto with weighting based on last 3-4 years for playoff appearances. Teams who made it each of those years (potentially leafs if NHL counts the playins as playoffs for potential lotto) would get the lowest odds(balls) in the lottery while the sabres/panthers/coyotes would be among the highest odd teams

Why 2020 NHL draft lottery could throw back to 2005 Crosby Sweepstakes - Sportsnet.ca

This is an article explaining the 2005 system

In 2005 a year was burned on each contract. Ie Spezza would be a UFA again.
 

ToneDog

56 years and counting. #FireTheShanaClan!
Jun 11, 2017
23,355
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Richmond Hill, ON
I think there will be, there has to be an NHL season. I believe the owners want to delay as long as possible so that they can get butts in the seats. For that to happen Canada and the US need to release those promising vaccines soon. Fingers crossed.
 

Golden_Jet

Registered User
Sep 21, 2005
22,242
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Mid-late January. No way the players agree to training camp over Christmas holidays.

Ya if happening , February now,
2 week quarantine for out of country players
7-10 days for the 7 teams not in playoffs
2 week training camp.
Looks like 5- 5 1/2 weeks needed
 

Mess

Global Moderator
Feb 27, 2002
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The QMJHL just shutdown their season yesterday.. This does not bode well for NHL to open up when other leagues that were playing in a protected environment semi bubble and still some teams couldn't get in many games. Now that the Pandemic is spiking closing down rather than opening up seem more likely.

QMJHL shuts down until Jan. 3

The QMJHL will use December to regroup.

League commissioner Gilles Courteau announced on Monday the Christmas break will now run from Tuesday until Jan. 3 to give everyone a chance to come up with a revised plan for the second half of the season. “The current situation with the pandemic in the regions in which we operate makes it extremely difficult to play games,” Courteau said in a news release. “With the holidays just around the corner, the provinces in the Maritimes have restricted access and travel, while red zone restrictions in Quebec do not permit us to play.”

The strategy the league settled on leading into the season was to create three divisions based on geography and then have each of the six teams from each grouping play each other exclusively for the entire year. That worked well in the Maritimes up until about two weeks ago when cases started spiking in different cities across the region and the Atlantic bubble burst for the first time since its creation in late spring.

The Halifax Mooseheads were able to play 16 games before pausing their season last week, while the Cape Breton Eagles got 15 games on the books. The Rimouski Oceanic and Rouyn-Noranda Huskies were the only other QMJHL teams to complete 16 games, while every Maritimes Division team played at least 13. The Sherbrooke Phoenix had the lowest total in the league with just five games played and the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and Quebec Remparts only had eight each. The QMJHL season is usually 68 games long but was shortened to 60 for this year as part of the league's original COVID-19 plan.

The Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League have not yet played any games and are tentatively hoping to open operations in January.

QMJHL shuts down until Jan. 3 | The Chronicle Herald
 

GLobello

Registered User
Dec 1, 2015
158
89
You guys with the "season won't be played" make me laugh. NFL, MLB, MLS, NBA have all either completed their season, have their season currently going, or will start up shortly but the NHL is going to be the one that doesn't play. Ok then.

Get everyone into their home cities starting now, start training camp in a couple of weeks and start the season early January. What the hell are you waiting for? NBA finished later than the NHL and is already coming back this month. Get your heads out of your asses NHL/NHLPA and get this thing going. There are going to be cases but the other leagues have managed to contain them and keep their seasons going so the NHL will be no different. Let's go.
 
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Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
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I am not saying I disagree fully, but isn't there hundreds of millions of dollars of TV deals still that they would lose? Although maybe they would lose less by not playing and not having to pay the players and other hockey related expenses.

I crunched some numbers a while back and it seemed like the US and Canadian cable deals netted each team about $20 million or so. Give or take. Compared to the NBA which is far higher and you can see where the short fall is to the cap floor almost immediately. I don’t know what the other individual revenue sources would be but I imagine some teams could make a go of it and some would not. Also depending on the arena situation. Would also assume if there’s no season you’re not paying player salaries and operating costs, so you could maybe see teams being close to “net zero” in terms of monies. I dunno. Doesn’t seem like a great situation.
 

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