NHL officials had originally only asked about arena availability into JulyGETTY IMAGES
The NHL has "asked teams for building availabilities through the month of August," according to Pierre LeBrun of THE ATHLETIC. The NHL had previously "asked for building availabilities through July." With the August ask, the picture now "becomes somewhat clearer as far as potential options if indeed there’s a season resumption." The postponement of the Olympics "gives the NHL more flexibility in eventually determining what a timeline for summer playoff hockey could look like" (THEATHLETIC.com, 3/24). In Pittsburgh, Tim Benz wrote he is worried about the "condition of the ice in the buildings trying to house hockey games in July and August, the issues present when it comes to extending the calendar that close to 2020-21, and the perceived importance of finishing out a measly 10 games or so on the regular-season schedule" (TRIBLIVE.com, 3/24).
WHATEVER IT TAKES: TSN.ca's Frank Seravalli wrote, "You can bet the NHL will do whatever it takes, no matter how hot it is, to get back on the ice." What is at stake is a "potential revenue loss" of north of $1B if the '19-20 season does not resume. The NHL "does not believe there's going to be any meaningful insurance payout that's on the way," and that "affects both the owners and players." Players are "on the hook 50/50 of the revenue split." That "also includes losses." So "what are the players doing in the meantime to protect themselves?" The NHLPA does "not plan to increase escrow withholding in the players' paycheques" (TSN.ca, 3/24). In Philadelphia, Sam Carchidi outlines a "best-case scenario" for the NHL's return. If the league could return on May 10, it could "bag the regular season, seed the top four teams (down from the usual eight) in each conference and have a best-of-seven quarterfinals, semifinals, and Stanley Cup Final, which would end in late June, just a little later than usual." This would "cause pain to the fans and the teams that were in playoff spots but not in the top four in each conference." It also would cause "anguish to the teams that were within striking distance of playoff spots when the season was suspended March 12." That said, these are "special circumstances and, from here, it’s more important that the season ends at a semi-normal time than dragging it to the end of September" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 3/25).
DRAFT UPDATE: In Ottawa, Bruce Garrioch reports there has been "no decision made on the NHL draft combine set for June 1-6 at the KeyBank Center and LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo, where the league is scheduled to invite 100 of the top prospects for the draft on June 26-27 at the Bell Centre in Montreal." The draft could "always be done by video conference call or a scaled down version of the event ... but really the league is playing a waiting game for now because it's a big event that garners a lot of attention" (OTTAWA SUN, 3/25).
