NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the league can be "fairly flexible in terms of the calendar, and my guess at this point is we're probably going to play into the summer." Bettman: "Whatever we do to come back -- and this is where I'm talking about being agile and flexible -- we're going to have to do something. Whether it's complete the regular season in whole or in part, whether or not it's an expanded playoffs, we're going to have to do something that's fair and has integrity." He added, "We have been considering all of the alternatives ... not just in terms of the structure of play, but where we actually do it because we are all over North America, Canada and the United States in lots of different locations." Because of this, Bettman said the league is "exploring the possibility of some neutral sites" (“Mornings with Maria,” Fox Business, 4/15).
SUMMER SKATE? In Ottawa, Bruce Garrioch writes under the header, "There's No Reason For The NHL To Rush To Cancel The Rest Of The Season." While everybody "seems to be in some sort of hurry for the NHL to throw in the towel on the rest of the regular season and the playoffs, that would make zero sense at this juncture." The league still has time on its side, even if it "means playing through the summer months." Garrioch: "At some point the league is going to get back to business even if it does go straight to the playoffs and there's no need for the league to decide anything right now" (OTTAWA SUN, 4/16). In Toronto, Michael Traikos offers his "Wild And Wacky Ideas To Get NHL Going Again" (TORONTO SUN, 4/16).
