No NHL player to this point has been reported to test positive for novel coronavirus GETTY IMAGES
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is hesitant to put a "timeframe one way or another" on when the league could potentially return to play. Bettman on Friday appeared on NHL Network and said, "There are people in the medical community and charged with governmental decisions that are ultimately going to make the decision as to when it's safe to occupy our buildings with or without fans." Bettman's comments came prior to the CDC's suggestion that the U.S. should avoid events of 50 people or more for the next eight weeks. The league paused its season on Thursday, and he said NHL officials had tried for a couple of weeks prior "not to overreact, but to be very, very cautious and professional." Bettman: "I didn't want to have a scene where all of a sudden we found out a player had tested positive, and then we had to figure out every team that they played, everyone he had interacted with." He added, "The better notion was, 'Let's go home. Send everybody home and let's isolate for a few days.' Take a deep breath and then figure out how we then move forward, which I'm optimistic we're going to be able to do" ("NHL Tonight," NHL Network, 3/13).
CHANGE OF POLICY: USA TODAY's Jimmy Hascup reports the NHL is "allowing players to return to their homes -- no matter what city or country" -- in a reversal after "telling its players to stay close to their NHL cities." The league is "letting its players go home but to self-quarantine until the end of March" (USA TODAY, 3/16). TSN.ca's Frank Seravalli noted the NHL on Friday sent a message to its teams and players that "'strongly' encouraged players to 'self-quarantine' in their homes for 'the next week or so.'" To this point, no NHL player "has been reported to test positive for novel coronavirus." A positive test "could set back an NHL timeline." Players who live apart from their family during the season -- like players who have been traded -- were "permitted to return to their primary residence." Once there, they have been "instructed to avoid any further travel, including public transportation and ride-sharing" (TSN.ca, 3/13).
PLAYERS WILL GET PAID: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Diamond, Higgins & Cohen reported NHL players "received the first of three final payments for the regular season on Friday and teams have been instructed to pay players during the hiatus." Players are "entitled to receive their full salaries for the regular season, but likely will have to pay a sizeable chunk back in escrow, as the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement specifies an even split between players and owners of 'hockey-related revenue'" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 3/14). ESPN.com's Greg Wyshynski noted the NHL paying out salaries "wasn't guaranteed for the players when the season was officially put on hold" last week. The CBA gives owners the "ability to negotiate a different salary level for players in the event that the league 'suspends, ceases or reduces operations' in its season due to 'a state of war or other cause beyond the control of the League or of the Club'" (ESPN.com, 3/13). In N.Y., Larry Brooks noted by receiving their final three paychecks, players will have earned 100% of their pay even though the league will have collected approximately 85% of "anticipated regular-season revenue." The responsibility for "making up that shortfall would fall on the players, who would likely lose every cent of the 14 percent escrow deductions from their checks and might even owe the league a rebate." The "potential magnitude of escrow losses for this season may not only affect the NHLPA’s approach to next season’s escalator, it may impact the union’s strategy in its CBA negotiations if escrow hawks dominate the agenda" (N.Y. POST, 3/15).
TOUGH TO PLAY ALL GAMES: In Buffalo, Mike Harrington wrote to keep "pushing revenues," the NHL "undoubtedly would like to play at least some of the remaining 189 regular-season games." That would "help the players too in areas such as escrow from their paychecks and next season's salary cap." However, it is "going to be tough." Unless there is a "serious push to start camps in the next two or three weeks, the sense here is the season would be over and the league is simply going to have to decide how to proceed with its tournament" (BUFFALO NEWS, 3/15). In N.Y., Brett Cyrgalis wrote, "One thing that is clear is the league and its players want to continue this season at some point, and clubs have been told to work with their arenas to find dates for games, which could go into July." The NHL is "predicated on gate receipts more than any of the other three major North American pro leagues, and the financial ramifications of canceling the rest of the season are huge." The "huge drop in hockey-related revenue would drastically affect the salary cap next season." That is why NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is "open to any idea that might facilitate playing games at some point, even in empty arenas" (N.Y. POST, 3/15). In L.A., Helene Elliott noted stretching the season past late June is an "option, but it gets complicated." Warmer weather and summer humidity "make it difficult to maintain good ice, even in northern cities" (L.A. TIMES, 3/15). In Detroit, Ted Kulfan writes playing in July "wouldn’t be ideal, given the difficulty of maintaining quality ice in the peak of summer heat." It is "already an issue, occasionally, in June during some NHL Finals series." An NHL postseason that "stretched into July would make for a very short turnaround for training camps, which open in September" (DETROIT NEWS, 3/16). In Toronto, Damien Cox writes, "We’ll wait to see what formula they come up with." However, "no matter the scheme, it will be different than what was happening until last Thursday" (TORONTO STAR, 3/16).
PLAYING IT SAFE: The WSJ's Diamond, Higgins & Cohen noted in the NHL's message to players and teams, the league asked everyone to "refrain from using team facilities for training purposes in the short term, a request that is subject to change." A source said that the league is "open to allowing skaters to work out at team facilities in small groups of four or five but will only with the blessing of public health officials" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 3/14).
