NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman in a BOG call on Thursday "made it clear to one and all that sneaking out of the bubbles in Edmonton or Toronto will not be tolerated," according to Kevin Paul Dupont of the BOSTON GLOBE. Dupont: "Leave the bubble, sure, and pack up and go home." The league is "well aware the entire return to play enterprise will live/die on very narrow margins, which will demand that team personnel (maximum number: 50) must enter the bubbles with the understanding they will be forced to stay undercover for the full 70 days" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/19).
POSITIVE MOMENTUM: In N.Y., Larry Brooks wrote, "Never has silence signaled such good news as this week’s smooth opening week of Phase 3 training camp did for the NHL. Perhaps there is some good fortune involved, but that is surely at least partially the residue of the design the league and the NHLPA created through weeks of intense dialog." Brooks: "The painstaking and methodical approach taken by both the league and the union in crafting protocols for four different phases dealing with COVID-19, well, it couldn’t have been more impressive." And though there are "no absolutes in July 2020, the methods adopted give the NHL a chance to pull this off." There is "reason to believe this might work" (N.Y. POST, 7/19).
COMMUNICATION IS KEY: In Tampa, Diana Nearhos reported the NHL's BOG held calls with Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly "every other week." The consistency "kept communication flowing well." Lightning Owner Jeff Vinik "would check in with Bettman outside of those calls, as well." Internally, Vinik was "frequently on the phone" with team CEO Steve Griggs and VP & GM Julien BriseBois, "addressing the Lightning’s specific issues, including their pitch to be considered as a hub city." Meanwhile, the “'cherry on top' of determining a plan to return to play" is the four-year CBA extension. Vinik said that he "credits both the league and players association," led by Bettman and NHLPA Exec Dir Donald Fehr, with "coming together for the good of the game" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 7/19).
