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Will the 2020 Stanley Cup have an asterisk next to it?

Will the 2020 Stanley Cup have an asterisk next to it?

  • Total voters
    198
  • Poll closed .
Big Phil

Big Phil

Registered User
Nov 2, 2003
31,703
4,146
Fair question, if they ever get it underway, will the winner of the 2020 Cup have an asterisk next to it and be noticeably separate from every other year?

With no fans in the buildings, no atmosphere, the removal of home ice advantage and everything a team has done in the regular season, the players out of shape, the most likely poorer ice than normal because of the heat and so on and so forth I say a very resounding yes!

I love hockey, but I love the NHL we know, not this version. They should be pushing to get fans in the stands by October and focus on starting that on time. That's my thought.

Put it this way, how serious am I about my answer? The Leafs haven't won a Cup in 53 years and I pray to God that 2020 with all of these shenanigans isn't the first time this century that we see it happen. Because that will just be a shame. So that's my team, and I would rather see a non-descript team like the Hurricanes (sorry Carolina) win it rather than seeing perhaps the only time John Tavares and co. ever win it.
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majormajor

Registered User
Jun 23, 2018
24,747
29,454
I have already taken to calling it the "asterisk cup". To me "covid cup" is too morbid.

But the asterisk is more tongue in cheek than anything. If any team can come out of that much hockey on top they deserve the Cup and the players will have my respect.

Big Phil said:
I love hockey, but I love the NHL we know, not this version. They should be pushing to get fans in the stands by October and focus on starting that on time. That's my thought.
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If that was even an option there's no way they would be doing an empty seat tournament in September and October. Fans in the seats is money. But the NHL is almost certainly not going to be cleared to have fans in house, maybe not until the vaccines are ready. They're doing a playoffs so they can at least get the playoff tv revenue.
 

mouz135

Registered User
Apr 27, 2013
1,966
2,113
No. The teams have played 95% of the regular season, and the playoffs will be played in their entirety.
 
BB06

BB06

Registered User
Jun 1, 2020
2,973
4,321
Yes it absolutely does anyone saying otherwise is wrong
 
Super Cake

Super Cake

Registered User
Jun 24, 2013
31,015
6,448
Depends on who wins it.

There is only 2 to 3 teams that i would absolutely not consider a real cup win if they won the cup.

The Habs, Hawks and the Coyotes

Most of teams in the 24 playoff format was a lock or had a reasonable chance to make the playoffs if the season continued.

The Habs and the Hawks however is another story. Even the Coyotes was in a tailspin at the end of the season.
 
KoozNetsOff 92

KoozNetsOff 92

Hala Madrid
Apr 6, 2016
8,567
8,229
No because the playoffs are 4 rounds best of 7 as usual. The winner of this year's cup should be held in even higher regard because of the unique circumstances. Winning with no home ice, no fans, no advantages will be the sign of a true champion.
 
seancolorado

seancolorado

Registered User
Oct 8, 2011
1,303
186
If anything, the current format of neutral ice with certain teams coming in without momentum and other teams coming in without having to all-out grind just to get in, means an emphatic no to any asterisk at all

Happy to see teams are not battered and beaten as well
 

bobholly39

Registered User
Mar 10, 2013
22,350
15,071
Big Phil said:
Fair question, if they ever get it underway, will the winner of the 2020 Cup have an asterisk next to it and be noticeably separate from every other year?

With no fans in the buildings, no atmosphere, the removal of home ice advantage and everything a team has done in the regular season, the players out of shape, the most likely poorer ice than normal because of the heat and so on and so forth I say a very resounding yes!

I love hockey, but I love the NHL we know, not this version. They should be pushing to get fans in the stands by October and focus on starting that on time. That's my thought.

Put it this way, how serious am I about my answer? The Leafs haven't won a Cup in 53 years and I pray to God that 2020 with all of these shenanigans isn't the first time this century that we see it happen. Because that will just be a shame. So that's my team, and I would rather see a non-descript team like the Hurricanes (sorry Carolina) win it rather than seeing perhaps the only time John Tavares and co. ever win it.
Click to expand...

100% absolutely disagree with the notion of an asterisk.

But - I guess it depends on what an asterisk means to you. When I heard to term 'asterisk' - I think of someone not worthy. So - like when Barry Bonds beat the homerun record, people say 'asterisk - he's on steroids'. If all you really mean by asterisk is 'different' but not less worthy in anyway, i suppose that's fine. This year is obviously different. The lockout years of 95 and 2013 were also different. No less worthy though.

Coming back to this year - 100% as worthy of champions as any year - can even make an argument this is going to be the most challenging playoffs of all-time, and whoever wins should be given even more respect than usual.

1. It's harder to win, not easier. That's the most critical factor here. If NHL had gone in the other direction and said "we don't have time for 16 teams, only top 8 teams make playoffs" - sure, give an asterisk. ex if Washington had won an 8 team cup - people may always say "lol, asterisk - they got lucky Pittsburgh weren't in when they should have been, or Pitt definitely beats them". But....we're doing 24 teams - many teams have to go 5 rounds instead of 4. It's even harder. Whoever wins gets 100% full merit

2. Everyone is on level playing field. Yes there will be rust. Yes it's summer - so ice quality may suffer (how is that different then the cup finals in may/june though). Yes you won't have home fans cheering you on. But....everyone is in equal conditions. Even if they play in the city of Edmonton - it's not exactly an advantage for Oilers, with no fans.

These are unique circumstances in the world - and I think the tournament the NHL has announced if a fantastic way of capping up the playoffs, and i'm looking forward to it big time - even more than in other years because of the 'anything can happen' factor.

Finally - regardless of if they do playoffs or cancel them - the season will not start in October and especially not with fans. I don't get why people keep saying this "instead of playoffs, do season in October with fans". NHL doesn't decide when fans can return, and there's no reason to think fans will return by October. So - it's not either/or. If there's no playoffs - there's also still no NHL with fans in October either.
 

bobholly39

Registered User
Mar 10, 2013
22,350
15,071
North Cole said:
Haha. Idk, I'm sure theres a couple teams from the East you would choose us over.
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Well - all season long I was rooting for the Pens, as I'd like to see Crosby win a 3rd smythe, along with a cup. And a Crosby/McDavid showdown in the finals would be pretty damn epic.

Of course - considering i'm a Habs fan first - I find myself a little split for round 1...

Beyond Habs/Pens - sure, I'd probably pick you guys over quite a few other teams.
 
Voight

Voight

#winning
Feb 8, 2012
40,705
17,089
Mulberry Street
I can see people putting an asterisk if its one of those teams that was say in 20th-24th when the seasons topped, only because they weren't actually in a playoff spot (even if there was 10-12 games to go)
 
Spargon

Spargon

Registered User
May 31, 2019
984
1,625
If any season should have had the * its the 48 game lockout one. Teams like the Leafs that made it showed every underlying stat had them seriously regressing and would have finished near the bottom in a full season.

Other teams started slow but were getting hot but missed etc.
 
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