We need a miracle or there's no hockey till 2021-22 at least

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

Yeah I’m ignoring the large group aspect and strictly looking at it from a competitive standpoint and risk to players and staff. Imagine Johnny testing positive game 1 and he’s out for the first round? How is that fair? Or they let him play because his symptoms are mild... then you look at players like Max Domi who have diabetes. You just can’t put those players at risk for a game. Not looking for answers or attacking your stance, these are just the questions I keep asking myself.

No answers here either.

I guess the first question is when will it be safe to have athletic competitions again. And I suppose hockey puts more people at risk than say basketball, but less than football.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

If it's not for the Cup, then what's the point?

Yes, it will suck if there's no champion this year. But given the unprecedented state we are currently in, that's fine.

Well it could be for the sake of competition, entertainment, generating $'s. We have all watched or participated in hockey competitions where the prize wasn't the Stanley Cup.

No doubt it would be fine not to have hockey or award the Stanley Cup for the rest of this year, or any other year for that matter.

But when it is safe to play, I'd enjoy watching some high level hockey.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

There is no way that these abbreviated formats would get any kind of traction. Teams with a reasonable case for inclusion in the top-16 would never agree to it.

If your choice is 0 dollars or a 1/30th share of x dollars these owners will choose 1/30th of X. The consideration would be does it damage the brand. Revenue sharing would be used to get buy in from excluded teams. You will get the bottom 13 teams who are out so only need 8 more to get 2/3rds.

While the Stanley Cup winner would always have an asterix it wouldn’t damage the integrity of the NHL or Stanley Cup to have any type of tournament to award it. I am also sports starved so will gladly watch any content and would pay for it via pay per view.

Give me a single location tournament and I will gladly watch.

And remember that the Stanley Cup goes to the best hockey team in the land. It is not solely the prize for the end of the NHL playoffs. So any format which reasonably fulfills the goal meets any historic standard for awarding it.

[Strange Brew]

I have to say I like reading the posts of those people who express their opinion of what they would like to see vs. the proclamations of that will never happen or what is or isn’t stupid.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

The government order in council that closes the borders has an expiry date of June 30. While the government could always revoke the order earlier, closed borders for three months completely eliminates any hope of resuming the season.

Wouldn't be particularly hard to designate this as necessary commercial travel. It's hard to know what the world will feel like, but there could be a pretty big appetite for 'fresh content' if things continue to be somewhat locked down. Of course, there would also be major concerns about maintaining social distancing in the cities with teams playing (even if arenas are empty, it's hard to prevent people congregating to celebrate a big win).

Originally Posted by Textcritic

There is no way that these abbreviated formats would get any kind of traction. Teams with a reasonable case for inclusion in the top-16 would never agree to it.

GGG just took the words out of my mouth, but if the choices are: zero money and some money, then you can believe that both teams and players (including teams #9-24 in the standings) will gladly take the latter.

Of course this all assumes a particular window of time/circumstances, but at this moment it seems pretty hard to imagine operationalizing 20+ teams by ~ May 1.

8 Teams by ~June 1? A little more plausible.

[DazzlinDino]

Not sure where to post this, but is there any way we could get up to 12 guys on cp who have ps4 to put an NHL team together? Maybe would could play against teams from other hockey boards. Could start with 4 to 6 teams and more if interest grows. Just throwing some idea's out there.., could even have games streamed with a shortened season and playoffs!

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

When the time comes that the league can resume, if there's a scenario where the playoffs would go into July I'm for a complete cancelling of the season. The turnaround for a lot of playoff teams to the next season would be too short and they would all be at a disadvantage next season. I don't want abbreviated series or anything like that as I would never consider the cup winner a true Stanley cup winner. Do it right or do the right thing and move on to the 2020/21 season.

Realistically, I don't think leagues could start back up until late May in the best-case scenario. We need to get to a point where arenas can be filled, because just playing in an empty arena does not mitigate the risk for the players and essential staff themselves.

But I don't think majority of the teams are gonna be pleased with not playing out the whole schedule to earn their chance into the playoffs. And then teams may also feel cheated out from winning the Stanley Cup if the series are not a full best of 7 format. To satisfy both of those means, there's absolutely no way that they don't finish until early August. And with many of these venues already having concerts booked at that time - and I imagine are hopeful to still perform in those months - I think the feasibility for the season to resume is incredibly low.

At this point, just for reassurance, as well as legitimacy in regards to finishing regular season and playoff series length, the season should be cancelled. The NHL and all other leagues don't have control over this outbreak. Euro's was suppose to be played in June, and is going to be postponed for next year, and Olympics that's happening in July is most likely going to get postponed to next year also. If those events aren't gonna go on, there's no way NHL and NBA could start before those were even scheduled to start.

A lost season given what has happened seems pretty much a given despite how desperate they are to still make money. They should be focusing on the start of the 2020-21 season being on schedule.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Wouldn't be particularly hard to designate this as necessary commercial travel. It's hard to know what the world will feel like, but there could be a pretty big appetite for 'fresh content' if things continue to be somewhat locked down. Of course, there would also be major concerns about maintaining social distancing in the cities with teams playing (even if arenas are empty, it's hard to prevent people congregating to celebrate a big win).

I think there is zero chance either the Canadian or the American government gives pro sports an exception as "necessary commercial travel". It would also be a PR nightmare for any league to even try. Probably go over as well as Gamestop's attempt to classify itself as "essential retail". A decision that was not only widely derided by the public, but resulted in at least one state allegedly suspending the company's business license.

[SeanCharles]

As long as there is hockey come September I will be able to stomach 19-20 as a lost season.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Table 5

The NHL also needs to make sure they protect their brand. You can't hold some sort of rushed mickey-mouse tournament for one of the most valued trophies in sports. The Stanley Cup is one of the few things that hockey has over the other leagues.

I like that it takes 16 wins to get it.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by SeanCharles

As long as there is hockey come September I will be able to stomach 19-20 as a lost season.

I view professional sports among the least important things that I look forward to some return to normal
I get that this is the hockey part of the forum but in terms of things one can stomach or not, it is soooooooooo far down my list right now

[Northendzone]

there may be some economic reckoning for sports and entertainment that comes out of this.

If the work force is shut down for months, how long does it take to recover. Where does spending $150 on a Tuesday night rank in people’s priority list if you are trying to buy food, pay bills etc.

[Corral]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

there may be some economic reckoning for sports and entertainment that comes out of this.

If the work force is shut down for months, how long does it take to recover. Where does spending $150 on a Tuesday night rank in people’s priority list if you are trying to buy food, pay bills etc.

The day of reckoning is here. This will change spending habits for a generation.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by Corral

The day of reckoning is here. This will change spending habits for a generation.

I was thinking about this the other day, if pro sports come back before the general public have recovered financially it could set the leagues back many years, for instance, the pandemic slows to a crawl in Oct and a vaccine comes out in Dec should the NHL and NBA have 40 game shortened seasons?

I personally think the fans wouldn't be ready.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

there may be some economic reckoning for sports and entertainment that comes out of this.

If the work force is shut down for months, how long does it take to recover. Where does spending $150 on a Tuesday night rank in people’s priority list if you are trying to buy food, pay bills etc.

I made a similar point a while back. I think people are underestimating the economic impact this will have.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by Corral

The day of reckoning is here. This will change spending habits for a generation.

In the grand scheme, even if this last until summer or even fall, once it passes, people will go back to old spending habits, since it's relatively a short period of time still. People will still want to travel and still spend on food and entertainment; especially after being deprived from it for some time.

If this was prolonged for year or more though? It may resonate enough to really change people's spending habit, and have a stronger frugal mentality since they've become accustomed to adjusting.

I don't think this event is gonna alter people's spending habits much, or at all. At least as it appears to be panning out currently.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by Joborule

Realistically, I don't think leagues could start back up until late May in the best-case scenario. We need to get to a point where arenas can be filled, because just playing in an empty arena does not mitigate the risk for the players and essential staff themselves.

If you want to get to that point, you'll be looking at fall of 2021.

No way you can have people in arenas even in September of this year.
There are too many legit predictions of the second wave beginning at that time.

I honestly don't see any way pro sports can occur this calendar year, not if you put public health first.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by Joborule

In the grand scheme, even if this last until summer or even fall, once it passes, people will go back to old spending habits, since it's relatively a short period of time still. People will still want to travel and still spend on food and entertainment; especially after being deprived from it for some time.

If this was prolonged for year or more though? It may resonate enough to really change people's spending habit, and have a stronger frugal mentality since they've become accustomed to adjusting.

I don't think this event is gonna alter people's spending habits much, or at all. At least as it appears to be panning out currently.

I don't think so. we're just at the beginning and I know a lot of people who now have no income. I think you may overestimate how many people will be able to spend on travel and NHL hockey games when it is safe to do so.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

I don't think so. we're just at the beginning and I know a lot of people who now have no income. I think you may overestimate how many people will be able to spend on travel and NHL hockey games when it is safe to do so.

Obviously everything right now is unknown, and we won't know the aftermath until we get to that point (and when that will be to respond to your first post). But as much as there's a lot of people who have lost jobs and will be financially hurting, there is still others that are continuing to work, and many of those in the upper class are gonna be able to weather this storm, and be able to comfortably spend again afterwards.

It's jarring how much of an effect this virus has had globally, but I genuinely believe that it's not as doomsday as it's getting portrayed by some. There will be a point where the virus has diminished enough (and is controlled as much as it can be until a vaccine is mainstream) that reasonable risk will be weighed against the pressure of the economy and push for people to live life socially again.

There's gonna be an overwhelming appetite from society to live life like they did beforehand again by the Fall if there's a low number of cases at that point.

[Harry Lime]

By the time that any sports come back, in whatever form, I would have to think that the teams will be playing to empty stadiums.