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

[The CyNick]

Lets just put that in context alone.

A 48 game regular season and Canadian division would see every team play each other 8 times each to eliminate 3 teams.

Then the remaining 4 teams would play best of 7 series in round #1 and #2 to declare a Div winner however that would mean 8 regular season games & potentially another best of 7 playoff games against the very same opponents = 15 games X 2 (after rounds #1 and #2 playoffs) to determine winner and move on to round #3 in USA.

So over the course of 4 months (Jan - April) we could see the Leafs beat up on Ottawa 8 times (regular season) and then play against Winnipeg or Calgary or whomever 15 times (playoffs rounds #1 and #2) during that span and then join the USA already in progress playing 2 more rounds 3 & 4 (maximum 14 games against only 2 of 24 USA based teams).

Is that really the option the NHL is considering on the table to declare the 2020-21 Stanley Cup winner and play this season in a pandemic?

It seems that way.

I think for the sake of parity they should have the US group into 3 divisions and follow a similar format to the CDN division to further reduce travel.

 

[Deebo]

You don't have to watch it if you don't consider it legitimate or prefer the season to be cancelled.

I like hockey though, so I'll watch it.

 

[Clark4Ever]

It wouldn't be the first time the NHL pulled off a condensed schedule starting early in the new year.

I hope that both sides can come to terms for the sake of all parties involved.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

I think the players should not give concessions on the signed agreement and therefore i am in favour of the season being cancelled and contracts being honoured for however many years are left.
So I don’t really care if they play it or not.
We can get all our players all the ice time and training facilities they need.

 

[Nineteen67]

Lets just put that in context alone.

A 48 game regular season and Canadian division would see every team play each other 8 times each to eliminate 3 teams.

Then the remaining 4 teams would play best of 7 series in round #1 and #2 to declare a Div winner however that would mean 8 regular season games & potentially another best of 7 playoff games against the very same opponents = 15 games X 2 (after rounds #1 and #2 playoffs) to determine winner and move on to round #3 in USA.

So over the course of 4 months (Jan - April) we could see the Leafs beat up on Ottawa 8 times (regular season) and then play against Winnipeg or Calgary or whomever 15 times (playoffs rounds #1 and #2) during that span and then join the USA already in progress playing 2 more rounds 3 & 4 (maximum 14 games against only 2 of 24 USA based teams).

Is that really the option the NHL is considering on the table to declare the 2020-21 Stanley Cup winner and play this season in a pandemic?

I’ve heard some on the radio mention that as a possibility. I have no idea if the league would do, but it would be rather unjust to have Calgary, or whoever, make the finals playing against Canadian teams only.

 

[Nineteen67]

You don't have to watch it if you don't consider it legitimate or prefer the season to be cancelled.

I like hockey though, so I'll watch it.

Me too, but like this year, I won’t consider it legit.

 

[Nineteen67]

I think the players should not give concessions on the signed agreement and therefore i am in favour of the season being cancelled and contracts being honoured for however many years are left.
So I don’t really care if they play it or not.
We can get all our players all the ice time and training facilities they need.

I think the player should have the option. Matthews may want the year to be consumed and be one year closer to UFA.

 

[Fogelhund]

I'm in the camp, that believes, the longer this goes, the less likely we have a season. I don't think the owners are feeling any pressure to bend much here, as not playing at least in the short-term, loses them less.

That being said, they need at least a week notice for travel, two weeks for quarantine, and a two week camp minimum. So, we are looking at mid January at best, if a decision was made today. More likely February.

As far as those questioning whether there is an asterisk or not... at the end of the day, you still have to get through a regular season, and four rounds of a playoff. You are going to play hard teams, and earn your victory. Every year, there is a team with an easier path than the others. The winner, will be the winner, no notation needed, and if you don't consider it legit, don't watch it. I'm sure if somehow the Leafs won, you'd be thrilled anyway.

 

[Mess]

I'm in the camp, that believes, the longer this goes, the less likely we have a season. I don't think the owners are feeling any pressure to bend much here, as not playing at least in the short-term, loses them less.

That being said, they need at least a week notice for travel, two weeks for quarantine, and a two week camp minimum. So, we are looking at mid January at best, if a decision was made today. More likely February.

As far as those questioning whether there is an asterisk or not... at the end of the day, you still have to get through a regular season, and four rounds of a playoff. You are going to play hard teams, and earn your victory. Every year, there is a team with an easier path than the others. The winner, will be the winner, no notation needed, and if you don't consider it legit, don't watch it. I'm sure if somehow the Leafs won, you'd be thrilled anyway.

The Leafs could win the Stanley Cup playing only 8 different teams (6 Canadian and 2 American) of the 30 NHL teams where 8 of 30 teams = 26.7% of league.

That would be the equivalent of say taking last years Cup winner TB and runner up Dallas and quarantining them for 2 weeks and them letting Tampa Bay play out of Quebec City, and Dallas out of Regina for 2020-21 and then in a 48 game season (6 times each regular season) and then award the Stanley Cup in Canada essentially after 4 rounds of playoffs.

It be like playing a 9 team Canadian tournament and inviting a couple USA teams to join in.

That would ignore 22 of the current 24 American teams entirely in determining the Stanley Cup winner for the Canadian Div winner, and calling a legit win compared to all other post original 6 expansion years post 1967.

I think you could watch some hockey for entertainment purposes but when you award a league winner where you wouldn't play 22 of the 30 NHL teams (or 73.3% of teams) even a single time would seriously question the legitimacy of this kind of event. IMO

 

[Deebo]

The Leafs could win the Stanley Cup playing only 8 different teams (6 Canadian and 2 American) of the 30 NHL teams where 8 of 30 teams = 26.7% of league.

That would be the equivalent of say taking last years Cup winner TB and runner up Dallas and quarantining them for 2 weeks and them letting Tampa Bay play out of Quebec City, and Dallas out of Regina for 2020-21 and then in a 48 game season (6 times each regular season) and then award the Stanley Cup in Canada essentially after 4 rounds of playoffs.

That would ignore 22 of the current 24 American teams entirely in determining the Stanley Cup winner for the Canadian Div winner, and calling a legit win compared to all other post original 6 expansion years post 1967.

I think you could watch some hockey for entertainment purposes but when you award a league winner where you wouldn't play 22 of the 30 NHL teams (or 73.3% of teams) even a single time would seriously question the legitimacy of this kind of event. IMO

Unless the Leafs do poorly, then you'll say it's 100% legitimate.

 

[Deebo]

As far as those questioning whether there is an asterisk or not... at the end of the day, you still have to get through a regular season, and four rounds of a playoff. You are going to play hard teams, and earn your victory. Every year, there is a team with an easier path than the others. The winner, will be the winner, no notation needed, and if you don't consider it legit, don't watch it. I'm sure if somehow the Leafs won, you'd be thrilled anyway.

It's preemptively delegitimizing any success the Leafs may have, but those who do this will still claim a poor performance is meaningful.

 

[Joey Hoser]

Me too, but like this year, I won’t consider it legit.

Curious, why not? It's not like the Stanley Cup has always been awarded under the same circumstances. Post-67, the finals were always a joke because it was all the expansion teams in one conference and all the "real" teams in another. Did those cups count? What about when there was only six teams? When they played best of 3s and 5s?

Not sure where people get the idea that recent format is somehow sacrosanct, and the only legitimate way to win a cup.

 

[KyleDubasBoyGeniua]

It's interesting that people kept saying this past summer would have an asterisk. There was less upsets and unlike majority of years, the actual most talented, best NHL team won the cup.
The Blues run actually looks flukier the year previous

 

[Fogelhund]

The Leafs could win the Stanley Cup playing only 8 different teams (6 Canadian and 2 American) of the 30 NHL teams where 8 of 30 teams = 26.7% of league.

That would be the equivalent of say taking last years Cup winner TB and runner up Dallas and quarantining them for 2 weeks and them letting Tampa Bay play out of Quebec City, and Dallas out of Regina for 2020-21 and then in a 48 game season (6 times each regular season) and then award the Stanley Cup in Canada essentially after 4 rounds of playoffs.

That would ignore 22 of the current 24 American teams entirely in determining the Stanley Cup winner for the Canadian Div winner, and calling a legit win compared to all other post original 6 expansion years post 1967.

I think you could watch some hockey for entertainment purposes but when you award a league winner where you wouldn't play 22 of the 30 NHL teams (or 73.3% of teams) even a single time would seriously question the legitimacy of this kind of event. IMO

We don't know the format as of yet. It's possible that the same will be said, in bubble divisions in the States. It's possible that each Division in the States will also only play 8/9 of 30 teams.

That being said, the regular season is just a qualification process. How many teams you had to play, in order to qualify for post season, isn't very relevant.

To win the Cup, every team, plays the same number of teams to get there, and there is no easy route. No matter the regular season format, everyone plays the same number of teams in the playoffs... That's the same last year, the year before, and this year, if they play. Trying to delegitimize a Playoffs, when you play the same number of teams as any other year, that doesn't seem right.

If you want to put an asterisk beside the President's Trophy winner... sure, go ahead, because of the reasons that you mention. But, The President's Trophy winner, is a largely unimportant trophy anyway, that nobody much cares about. The Stanley Cup is all that matters... and to win the Stanley Cup, will be no different this year, than any other.

 

[Buds17]

IIRC, interleague play wasn't a thing for MLB until 1997. That reduced the number of teams to be competed against. It certainly wouldn't be ideal to have an NHL season where a team doesn't play against a majority of the other teams. Current circumstances aren't unfortunately set up to allow for the ideal though. Skipping out on a season wouldn't exactly seem to be ideal either. Don't see why a playoffs and Cup couldn't be legit under the proposed, temporary realignment, were it to be able to happen? If you're in it, you try to win it!

 

[Jojalu]

The Leafs could win the Stanley Cup playing only 8 different teams (6 Canadian and 2 American) of the 30 NHL teams where 8 of 30 teams = 26.7% of league.

That would be the equivalent of say taking last years Cup winner TB and runner up Dallas and quarantining them for 2 weeks and them letting Tampa Bay play out of Quebec City, and Dallas out of Regina for 2020-21 and then in a 48 game season (6 times each regular season) and then award the Stanley Cup in Canada essentially after 4 rounds of playoffs.

It be like playing a 9 team Canadian tournament and inviting a couple USA teams to join in.

That would ignore 22 of the current 24 American teams entirely in determining the Stanley Cup winner for the Canadian Div winner, and calling a legit win compared to all other post original 6 expansion years post 1967.

I think you could watch some hockey for entertainment purposes but when you award a league winner where you wouldn't play 22 of the 30 NHL teams (or 73.3% of teams) even a single time would seriously question the legitimacy of this kind of event. IMO

That is pretty much the entire NCAA format for all sports and besides rankings, not a lot of people mind that they crown champions every year.

Teams in the NFL don't play every other team. They play less than half the other teams.

 

[Nineteen67]

Curious, why not? It's not like the Stanley Cup has always been awarded under the same circumstances. Post-67, the finals were always a joke because it was all the expansion teams in one conference and all the "real" teams in another. Did those cups count? What about when there was only six teams? When they played best of 3s and 5s?

Not sure where people get the idea that recent format is somehow sacrosanct, and the only legitimate way to win a cup.

Because it’s just crazy. During the bubble Cup players admitted they didn’t want to be around.
Play with fans or don’t play at all.

 

[Jozay]

Do the owners want to play as little games as possible to avoid additional expenses?

Whats the hold up with the NHL. Kind of a joke that they cant figure this out.

 

[Nineteen67]

That is pretty much the entire NCAA format for all sports and besides rankings, not a lot of people mind that they crown champions every year.

Teams in the NFL don't play every other team. They play less than half the other teams.

The problem is, the US based are the SEC, ACC, B12 B1G and the Canadian division is the CUSA

 

[KyleDubasBoyGeniua]

Do the owners want to play as little games as possible to avoid additional expenses?

Whats the hold up with the NHL. Kind of a joke that they cant figure this out.

I thin the poorest NHl teams would rather not play, or play as little games as possible. It means they'll lose les money.

The Arizonas, Florida's Carolina, ETC are holding the NHL back in this among others.

 

[Golden_Jet]

I think the players should not give concessions on the signed agreement and therefore i am in favour of the season being cancelled and contracts being honoured for however many years are left.
So I don’t really care if they play it or not.
We can get all our players all the ice time and training facilities they need.

In the past lockouts that was not the case, so probably not again, just one less year on contract.

 

[Mess]

Roadblocks remain for NHL, NHLPA as clock continues to tick

Roadblocks remain for NHL, NHLPA as clock continues to tick

With the NHL still wanting to start its season on January 1st, time is running out to reach a deal between the league and the NHLPA. That's Hockey brings you up to speed on what has gone on this offseason and what roadblocks remain for the NHL to make a return.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

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.

The owners are calling the players bluff I think. The players are being petty and stupid over this escrow shit. If the deal is 50% of revenues and the revenues are down 80%...why should the owners foot the bill? I am on the owners side on this one...its just crazy to think in this environment of unemployment and hardship that players are being so obtuse about the reality out there.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

As far as I have heard no player has been paid anything after 2nd last paycheck last year ... da final check went to add to existing 2019/20 season escrow ... players are waiting for final 2019/20 escrow calculations still ... what I am curious about is bonus payments? was bonus treated same as salary? I have asked but no one seems to know ... seems to be a lot of discussion but nothing concrete .

Pretty sure bonus payments are still being made. That's one of the reason that players wanted them...lockout protection..they get paid no matter what.

 

[KyleDubasBoyGeniua]

Pretty sure bonus payments are still being made. That's one of the reason that players wanted them...lockout protection..they get paid no matter what.

Unless you play for Arizona. LOL They might not arrived on time