Gary Bettman said the limited spread of COVID-19 contributed to playing in CanadaGETTY IMAGES
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on Friday said he is confident the NHL bubble can keep players safe, because “we went through a variety of phases to get to the point that we could actually start playing.” Bettman: “The players are being tested every day in the bubble, as are all the other personnel in the bubble. All tests have been negative and so we are feeling good about the fact that we've got a contained environment.” Bettman noted one of the "reasons that we’re playing in Toronto and in Edmonton in Canada is because of the availability of testing and the fact that the amount of COVID-19 is very limited in those places and frankly, throughout Canada." Bettman noted the league is "paying for our own tests, they’re commercially available and we certainly wouldn’t do anything that puts ourselves and our needs in front of the medical needs of a community” (“Today,” NBC, 7/31).
READY, SET, GO! THE RINGER's Katie Baker noted the Stanley Cup Playoffs get underway Saturday in Toronto and Edmonton, beginning an "improvised, isolated, and ambitious" postseason slate. Teams in the markets are suited with "multiple hotels ... numerous permanent and pop-up restaurants; and access to amenities like pools, cornhole, movie theaters, and, in Toronto, a professional soccer and football stadium." The restart format "will feature about a week's wroth of atypical, intriguing round-robin and qualifying play before transitioning into a regular best-of-seven, four-round playoff format -- not that anything is regular these days." The NHL's restart format is "unusual, which makes it all the more compelling" (THERINGER.com, 7/30). Wild LW Kevin Fiala said of the bubble atmosphere, "It was a little weird with no fans. As the game went on, I didn't feel such a difference." Wild G Alex Stalock said, "There's not a horn and no crowd noise. It's just dead quiet. Maybe a few stick taps and a cheer. That's about it" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 7/31).
