Questions surrounding the opening of Canada's border could lead to formation of a Canadian divisionGETTY IMAGES
Golden Knights Owner Bill Foley earlier this week "suggested that because of the surge in coronavirus cases in Canada, the NHL is considering having the seven Canadian teams play in a division," according to David Schoen of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. In response to a question about former D Nate Schmidt signing with the Canucks this offseason during his guest appearance on Las Vegas-based KSHP-AM, Foley "raised several eyebrows north of the border, and probably in the NHL offices, too." Foley said of the Canucks, "They're going to be playing in the Canadian division next year." That "would leave the 24 teams based in the U.S. to play in separate geographic divisions." Foley: "I don't think that border is going to be open before Jan. 1, if it's open Jan. 1. They're starting to lock down again. Winnipeg's locking down. Quebec has got spikes going on. I think they're going to be playing a Canadian division. I don't think they’re going to be crossing the border." NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly in an email wrote that the league is "still in the preliminary stages of planning for next season and is not prepared to comment." Foley said that he "thinks the season will begin Feb. 1 and consist of 48 or 56 games to finish before the Summer Olympics that open in July" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 10/15).
TIME TO GET CREATIVE: The FINANCIAL POST's Joe O'Connor writes NHL owners "best buckle up and get creative operationally, with sponsors, advertisers and, critically, the fans the league and its players hope to welcome back to its arenas at the start of the new year." Tossing a bunch of strangers together in an NHL rink "sounds suicidal given present conditions." Ottawa, like Toronto, Montreal, Boston and several other NHL cities south of a border that remains closed to all non-essential travel, is "aflame with new virus cases." By January, however, "given the virus-fighting innovation arms race underway, NHL owners could, in theory, have a cheap COVID-19 saliva test waiting for ticket holders at the point of admission." Fans "could be made to sign waivers stating they haven't knowingly been around any COVID-positive people for a defined period of time." Masks "could be made mandatory at all NHL events, concession offerings scaled back, arena seating engineered to allow for physical distancing and the virus in full retreat" (FINANCIAL POST, 10/15).
ON THE MOVE? SPORTSNET.ca's Elliotte Friedman reports there is talk that Canadian-based NHL teams "with U.S.-based AHL affiliates are considering moving them" to Canada for '20-21 due to the current border restrictions. The current 14-day quarantine period means teams "can't call up players." There are three teams that would deal with this situation: the Canucks, (AHL affiliation in Utica, N.Y.), Flames (Stockton, Calif.) and Oilers (Bakersfield, Calif.) (SPORTSNET.ca, 10/14).
