UPDATE: NHLPA votes for further negotiations on 24-team return to play format

[RM14]

Originally Posted by PegCityFlamesFan

Winnipeg Jets just sent season ticket holders an e-mail to either receive a refund or credit for next year, with payment for refund to happen in June.

Flames indicated that they will be sending a similar message today or tomorrow (I think), also the credit for next year may have "incentives".

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

I think they would absolutely start without fans in 2020-21. That's one of the benefits of the CBA - if the revenue is reduced by lack of fans, both owners and players share the loss. But, both owners and players make *some* money. And both sides will want that.

However, assuming the NHL insists on trying to complete this season, I would think that the 2020-21 season will be shortened simply to give a bit of a break between a July/August end of this season and a September/October start to next season.


Semi-related, I really wonder how the impact on junior hockey will affect the NHL? The CHL especially I simply cannot see operating without fans. The development pipeline is going to be seriously affected by all of this.

From everything I've heard, the NHL is projecting a December start to next season with a 45 to 55 day gap between the end of one season and the start of the next. Assuming a mid-November training camp, that tells me that end of September is as late as the Cup Finals can go for 19-20.

In order to get 82 games in, the NHL is also not ruling out a late end to next season, either, having it potentially go into July.

[PegCityFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by RM14

Flames indicated that they will be sending a similar message today or tomorrow (I think), also the credit for next year may have "incentives".

Ours was 3% credit on the money you rolled over. Based on 4 games it was like 12 bucks. No thanks.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

From everything I've heard, the NHL is projecting a December start to next season with a 45 to 55 day gap between the end of one season and the start of the next. Assuming a mid-November training camp, that tells me that end of September is as late as the Cup Finals can go for 19-20.

In order to get 82 games in, the NHL is also not ruling out a late end to next season, either, having it potentially go into July.

So what's the plan then? Shift to a November-July schedule until the next lockout 'resets' everything for them? Something's getting axed, no matter what. If it is not the end of this season, then it's going to be the first month or two of some future season.

I just can't see the amount of fatigue - and therefore injuries - that a late end to this season followed by a quick turnaround to start next year with a late end, followed by another quick turnaround for 2021-22 would create.

[agulati]

As per John Bean and Brad Treliving during their Webex convo with STH, it looks like the plan is for host teams from the host cities to not be playing at home. This is to not give any team that extra advantage. So if Edmonton as a hub city is chosen, the Oilers will probably not be playing at home.

[getbak]

I think that's a good idea. I wonder if that also means they're looking at splitting the teams by Conference (or even League) standings into the hubs rather than by Division?

It would be kind of weird to have the Bruins, Lightning, Leafs, etc. all playing in Edmonton while the Pacific teams were all playing in Toronto or something. It would also make scheduling weird if you had Vancouver and Vegas playing a game at a hub in the Eastern time zone. Would the game start locally at 10pm so it would be a normal start time in the teams' home markets, or would you have a 7pm local start time, which would be 4pm on the coast (especially bad since hopefully a large percentage of people will be back to normal working conditions at that time)?

[agulati]

A factor is if it goes straight to playoffs or not. If it goes to playoffs, doesn’t make sense to have western conference teams playing in the eastern zone and the other way-around.

They were talking about Edmonton and Vegas being considered as hubs. If they both are chosen, you can base the Edmonton series in Vegas and vice-versa (unless both the teams are facing off against each other). Base two series per hub for four hubs (if 16 teams) or 6 hubs (if 24 teams)

[direwolf]

The logistics of trying to pull this off just seems crazy to me right now, especially when there are still so many unknowns regarding the virus or what the 2nd wave will look like. I still say the most realistic and safest option is to officially scrap this season and start formulating plans for a Nov/Dec start for 2020/21. With any luck we'll hopefully have a vaccine by then, or at the very least something that will keep the virus at bay.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by agulati

Base two series per hub for four hubs (if 16 teams) or 6 hubs (if 24 teams)

You can't have 6 hubs. It needs to be a power of 2 otherwise you'll eventually have an odd group.

[sureLoss]

McKenzie on TSN says that a June draft is most likely dead. Not a lot of support and the NHL realizing that the political capital it needs to spend to convince teams to do the draft in June is not worth it.

[agulati]

Originally Posted by getbak

You can't have 6 hubs. It needs to be a power of 2 otherwise you'll eventually have an odd group.

True, but it can also be to reduce per city load for teams. It is not necessary that you have all hubs for the entire playoffs.

I also think they specifically said 6 during the webex, though I might be mistaken.

[agulati]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

McKenzie on TSN says that a June draft is most likely dead. Not a lot of support and the NHL realizing that the political capital it needs to spend to convince teams to do the draft in June is not worth it.

Speaking of the draft, Treliving (during the Webex meeting) mentioned that teams will probably need 30 days or so to prepare once the draft date is announced (paraphrasing)

Now that doesn’t necessarily mean that the league goes in that direction, but that is how the Flames, at least, view it.

[bigpete]

Originally Posted by Dragomir

I don’t see the appeal behind a 24 team clown fiesta, it ruins the integrity of the sport. The only way to minimize the asterisk is to have 16 teams in the playoffs with the best of seven format. That is the new standard this isn’t 1950 anymore, why add an extra 8 teams?

While it's not ideal, I really don't understand the sentiment that more teams in the playoffs are going to cheapen the Cup or that there will be an asterisk. In the 80's almost every team made the playoffs (16 teams out of 21) and I dont remember any asterisks on the '89 Flames cup win.

[Samonadreau]

Just call it already.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

McKenzie on TSN says that a June draft is most likely dead. Not a lot of support and the NHL realizing that the political capital it needs to spend to convince teams to do the draft in June is not worth it.

Good. It made zero sense.

[Dragomir]

Originally Posted by bigpete

While it's not ideal, I really don't understand the sentiment that more teams in the playoffs are going to cheapen the Cup or that there will be an asterisk. In the 80's almost every team made the playoffs (16 teams out of 21) and I dont remember any asterisks on the '89 Flames cup win.

It’s the fact that we started with one set of playoff rules(top 8 make it in) and then it gets changed at the last second to include 12.... Every team currently in a playoff spot played harder and even gave up assets to be where they are at. It just ruins the integrity of the NHL, back in the 80’s it was understood from the get go what the rules were.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

So what's the plan then? Shift to a November-July schedule until the next lockout 'resets' everything for them? Something's getting axed, no matter what. If it is not the end of this season, then it's going to be the first month or two of some future season.

I just can't see the amount of fatigue - and therefore injuries - that a late end to this season followed by a quick turnaround to start next year with a late end, followed by another quick turnaround for 2021-22 would create.

The thinking is that 21-22 would start maybe in November which would be close to a regular off-season in terms of time and maybe end in late June (assuming Olympic participation takes out a chunk of time in Feb '22) and after that, you're back on a "normal" calendar for 22-23 (assuming no lockout that year of course).

It's not ideal but if you can push next season far enough that maybe at least the playoffs are in vaccination territory, that means that teams and the League (and players) might make a ton more money.

[Titan]

Originally Posted by Dragomir

It’s the fact that we started with one set of playoff rules(top 8 make it in) and then it gets changed at the last second to include 12.... Every team currently in a playoff spot played harder and even gave up assets to be where they are at. It just ruins the integrity of the NHL, back in the 80’s it was understood from the get go what the rules were.

There also wasn't a global pandemic that brought the entire world to its knees in the '80s.

How does it affect "integrity" at all? The NHL threw a curveball and is trying to adapt the best they can. I am fairly certain if you ask any of the top 8 teams would they rather go to top 12 or scrap the whole thing it is a simple answer.

[Strange Brew]

The proposal that MLB sent the players included 80 pages of detailed procedures and protocols around safety, testing, quarantines etc. It's a complex undertaking just to document their planned process, much less get agreement.

I hope the NHL league office is up to this.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Titan

There also wasn't a global pandemic that brought the entire world to its knees in the '80s.

How does it affect "integrity" at all? The NHL threw a curveball and is trying to adapt the best they can. I am fairly certain if you ask any of the top 8 teams would they rather go to top 12 or scrap the whole thing it is a simple answer.

Thank you for this. I just can't get on board with the "this wasn't what we were promised" line of thinking with anything right now.