The AHL is "planning to drop the puck on its next season on Feb. 5 in hopes of syncing up its schedule with the NHL and getting some fans into arenas for most, if not all, of its 31 teams," according to Stephen Whyno of the AP. AHL President & CEO Scott Howson said an early February start "gives us the best chance to have a significant season with fans in the building." NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said that he "doesn’t expect the AHL announcement to affect the NHL’s planning," adding that the AHL has "kept the NHL informed during its decision-making process and that general managers were briefed last week on the developments." Whyno noted no North American sport is "more dependent on attendance than hockey," and the "attempt to get some fans into buildings is a big reason for the February start." Howson pointed out that a "vast majority of jurisdictions with AHL teams would not have allowed any fans as recently as a month ago, and there are hopes that changes by the middle of the winter." The ECHL earlier this month announced that it will start its season on Dec. 11, with 13 of 26 teams "participating right away." Howson said that that "could happen in the AHL, but he wants to push back the deadline for opting out to ensure as many teams can play as possible" (AP, 10/28).
SOME AHL TEAMS COULD MOVE TO CANADA: In California, Elliott Teaford notes the U.S.-Canada border remains closed because of the pandemic, which has prompted "talk of an all-Canadian division in the NHL if players, coaches and staff members are still forced to quarantine for 14 days upon entering Canada after play resumes." Four of the NHL’s seven Canadian-based teams have their AHL teams located in Canada, but three "have U.S.-based minor-league clubs, which could force the Flames (Stockton), Oilers (Bakersfield) and Canucks (Utica, New York) to relocate their clubs north of the border temporarily" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 10/29).
