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

[Northendzone]

maybe not empty stadiums, but the pricing structure may have to change a lot.

i have not heard, but are NHL players still getting paid today?

i wonder if the NHL contracts can be terminated and reworked?

How does the NHL figure out it's price point on the other side of this?

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by 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.

Even if this is true, how do they protect the players from eachother? I don't think close contact sports will be able to resume until risk of contracting the virus is extremely low. Or there's a vaccine or something.

[Press Level]

Originally Posted by Joborule

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.

The problem is, it's not just the virus. Even if COVID-19 did not exist, our economy would be getting decimated by the oil price war between the Saudis and the Russians. Combining this with the near-complete shutdown of the rest of our economy (for any period of time) and we have a recipe for disaster. It is not an exaggeration to compare what is coming to the Great Depression. 500,000 people applied for EI last week. That was Week 1. People are being allowed to defer mortgage payments and utility bills for a few months, but at some point they will still be expected to pay.



A significant percentage of people who have traditionally attended NHL games and/or paid for TV sports packages will simply be unable to do so for the next few years. There are NHL franchises that will not survive this.

[Harry Lime]

Originally Posted by Igottago

Even if this is true, how do they protect the players from eachother? I don't think close contact sports will be able to resume until risk of contracting the virus is extremely low. Or there's a vaccine or something.

Pre game testing for every player. If a player gets a positive, they are put on IR until they receive 2 negative tests.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

maybe not empty stadiums, but the pricing structure may have to change a lot.

i have not heard, but are NHL players still getting paid today?

i wonder if the NHL contracts can be terminated and reworked?

How does the NHL figure out it's price point on the other side of this?

Whether or not the players are getting paid is actually immaterial. They will get 50% of HRR one way or another.

Terminating or re-negotiating contracts would require a CBA amendment. Which, honestly, I'd be leery of if I was on the owner's side.

And as far as price point goes, I would expect no real changes for 2020-21. It's going to be 2021-22 that will change things if we see significant declines.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

maybe not empty stadiums, but the pricing structure may have to change a lot.

i have not heard, but are NHL players still getting paid today?

i wonder if the NHL contracts can be terminated and reworked?

How does the NHL figure out it's price point on the other side of this?

Yes.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

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

I think the economic and financial impact will take decades. We may never fully recover.

[dino7c]

US will be fine by Easter...just ask Trump

[Kipper is King]

Of course the Oilers look like they're on the brink of making the playoffs, and it's the end of the world!

[Shazam]

[Saqe]

If Trump wants to open up US by Eastern it would seem like a guaranteed second wave. How many months in is China? And they're afraid that there will be another wave still despite the lockdown.

[VilleN]

Originally Posted by Saqe

If Trump wants to open up US by Eastern it would seem like a guaranteed second wave. How many months in is China? And they're afraid that there will be another wave still despite the lockdown.

Second wave? They are barely in the midst of the first wave. Opening the US by Easter would ensure that the peak of this wave would probably reach to over 30% of the population, which *could* result in a death toll of around 500K-1 million people. Economic disaster is coming, whether you remove restrictions or not, it's more a question of how many people are going to die and having your entire healthcare system collapse.

[Winsor_Pilates]

I think there will be hockey again in 2020.
I doubt any live crowds but they'll be playing in closed arenas, testing before each game and TV viewing will be at an all time high because we'll still have limited public things to do.

[bubbsy]

It's a depressing time, and I just don't see any way thus season is salvaged...

Let's move the Stanley cup to Esports where the rest of the year is played out but each team having to rotate the players (the actual team's players) having to play each game, and create some kind stream of it.

As a fan, I would pay a subscription to watch that.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

I think there will be hockey again in 2020.
I doubt any live crowds but they'll be playing in closed arenas, testing before each game and TV viewing will be at an all time high because we'll still have limited public things to do.

I seriously doubt that. There won't be hockey until there is a vaccine, this this is going to come in waves.

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

I think there will be hockey again in 2020.
I doubt any live crowds but they'll be playing in closed arenas, testing before each game and TV viewing will be at an all time high because we'll still have limited public things to do.

When Athletes say it's hard to play in front of half empty arenas imagine how it'll be for them as a staged TV event in a hollow building, TV viewing will go up but I doubt corps such as Sportsnet will rip up their TV contract after overpaying on the current one.

TV contracts pay about 20% of player wages,the numbers don't work. Only a miracle or vaccine will

[Poe969]

If more and more people start getting the virus, have an all virus league! Only sick players are allowed to play and they have to suit up no matter what. Need a respirator, bring it on the ice with you. Have a fever, the ice will cool you off. The crowd, yep they're all sick too. Healthies (or non-virusers) are allowed to come too but they have to know that they'll leave sick like everyone else. The only thing sold in the concession stands, the thing that started it all...bat on a stick!

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

When Athletes say it's hard to play in front of half empty arenas imagine how it'll be for them as a staged TV event in a hollow building, TV viewing will go up but I doubt corps such as Sportsnet will rip up their TV contract after overpaying on the current one.

TV contracts pay about 20% of player wages,the numbers don't work. Only a miracle or vaccine will

So sportsnet would rather have no TV Revenue like they do right now ?

The minute players stop getting paid they will be fine playing in empty stadiums

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

So sportsnet would rather have no TV Revenue like they do right now ?

The minute players stop getting paid they will be fine playing in empty stadiums

Maybe sportsnet would go to a PPV model. I could see them charging $15 or $20 a game. more revenue generated for everyone. lot of people who would pay up if it means they could watch hockey again.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

Maybe sportsnet would go to a PPV model. I could see them charging $15 or $20 a game. more revenue generated for everyone. lot of people who would pay up if it means they could watch hockey again.

I very much doubt it. I certainly would not.

Such a model would also be seriously damaging as it would completely eliminate any justification for maintaining Sportsnet in one's cable package, and carriage fees are where SN makes most of its money.