NHL Faces Significant Challenges In Effort To Play Regular Season In '21

The NHL's determination to make the hub cities format work for its season restart, "willingness to think outside the box and ability to execute turned a potential disaster into a crowning achievement," but "playing a regular season is an entirely different animal," according to Robert Tychkowski of the EDMONTON SUN. There is "no reason to believe the NHL can't get it done, health-wise," but "finding a way to pay for it remains the biggest obstacle." The NHL "doesn't have a monster TV deal to keep all of its teams fed, it depends largely on gate revenue." So the league either has to "get fans back in the building or there needs to be a significant development on the COVID vaccination front before we see any pucks drop." Meanwhile, the possibility of a Canadian NHL division "would be spectacular." Tychkowski: "Sold-out buildings and immediate rivalries on all fronts. Adding Montreal and Toronto to the mix with Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver would make every game (except Ottawa) an event" (EDMONTON SUN, 10/20).