CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — While Canada and the United States grapple with the coronavirus (COVID-19 strain) pandemic, the NHL is laying plans for a possible resumption of its schedule.
The league remains in the first phase of its return to play plan, with players still self-quarantined with their families in their homes. Phase 2 would allow players to resume training in small groups in their respective team facilities following another 14-day self-quarantine. That period is tentatively slated for mid- to late-May.
Phase 3 would see teams travel to four divisional neutral-site hub cities for a two-to-three week training-camp period in June. The final phase would see games resume without fans in July.
Despite this optimistic schedule, several stumbling blocks remain in the league's path toward reopening.
TSN’s Frank Seravalli reported Friday that up to 22 NHL markets could have their local restrictions on training facilities eased by mid-May. However, league deputy commissioner Bill Daly told Seravalli it wants to avoid creating a competitive imbalance among the clubs. Phase 2 won’t begin until an acceptable number of teams receive permission from health officials to reopen their facilities.
Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver are reportedly among up to 14 NHL cities in discussions with the NHL about becoming divisional hosts. There was some talk of restarting in all 31 markets, but that's unfeasible given the high levels of reported COVID-19 cases in some of those locations.
Resuming the season in just four host cities will still pose significant challenges. Ensuring the health and safety of everyone involved is the priority. It will cost millions of dollars to provide sufficient COVID-19 testing and regularly clean and disinfect dressing rooms and other arena areas.
A recent player poll conducted by The Athletic indicated a majority favour resuming the season. However, some have publicly expressed concern about being potentially separated from their families for three months.
A return to play committee involving several players, general managers and league officials has discussed whether to resume the regular season or move straight into the playoffs. Completing the schedule and the full post-season format would enable the league to recoup roughly half of its estimated $1.1 billion of revenue lost during its current shutdown.
If resuming the regular season isn’t possible, the committee is examining returning with playoff formats involving 16, 20 or 24 teams. That could allow the league to crown a Stanley Cup champion in a shorter period, allowing more time for an off-season before next season.
The league is also exploring whether to stage the 2020 draft before returning to action. It’s believed there’s been some push-back by general managers unhappy over the inability to trade established players as they usually would under normal conditions.
Once the season is completed, the league and the NHL Players’ Association must determine when to begin the 2020-21 campaign. Some team owners reportedly prefer waiting until December in hope social-distancing restrictions are sufficiently loosened to allow fans to return to the arenas.
Lyle Richardson is a freelance writer with the Sporting News and runs the website Spector’s Hockey. His column will appear in The Guardian throughout the NHL hockey season.
