final nail for NHL season ?

[ditty]

Originally Posted by GGG

The empty Vegas Hotels make perfect sense for this. Sequester everyone for two weeks then have your tournament.

The NBA has apparently floated this idea. If the current season does end up being salvaged, I think this might be the only way.

[bluejays]

I think it's done for this year for the team sports, and maybe even half of next season. Some things I've heard from local doctors are that there will be antiviral medication available to those most vulnerable in July/August (during which time it will have peaked, with some people back to work), then another "lockdown" around October/November like we're having now, with flu season spikes again. With pro sports all it takes is one player to get it an suddenly every team is at risk, so as everyone comes to terms with how easily this is transmitted, I think hope of a sports season is more or less lost. Even if an autograph seeking kid who has it get in contact with a player, there's a risk of it spreading to everyone. Now, for something like golf, or tennis, where there's very limited people that have to be around, I'm shocked they're not doing traveling tournaments to capitalize on the need for some sports. Anyway, this year is finished for NHL/NBA/MLB/NFL.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by ditty

The NBA has apparently floated this idea. If the current season does end up being salvaged, I think this might be the only way.

I think the NBA will do it for sure. As son as the Strip closed down in became the obvious solution.

[tfi racing]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Just cancel the season. Continuing the season 6 months from now when players and fans just don't care anymore and players are out of shape just makes no sense.

What would be awesome to see is a fun simulation tournament with some of the big stars and personalities playing online against each other. Watching Ovie and a couple of his Capitals buddies playing online against Crosby and his buddies would be great. At this time the fans would love to see their favorite players having some fun and cheering people up.

Edit: I just saw on TSN that they are broadcasting an NBA2K players tournament. Come on NHL where is your tournament?

Many here likely happily crap on motorsports and especially Nascar, but through the online similiation platform iRacing, Nascar and IndyCar have been engaging their fans on Sunday with virtual races with almost all of their major stars participating.Last weeks virtual Nascar race was broadcast live on Fox with over 1.5 million viewers,the largest ever ratings for an eSports event and roughly half of those who would tune into the actual live race. The next race is on Sunday, check it out if you can, you will be surprised at how accurate the imaging and action is and how much the drivers,announcers and fans are engaged in this. I'm sure the NHL, NBA and MLB are taking a hard look at how they can implement a similiar strategy to engage their fans,players,TV and other partners in a similiar program.

https://www.enascar.com/

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by tfi racing

Many here likely happily crap on motorsports and especially Nascar, but through the online similiation platform iRacing, Nascar and IndyCar have been engaging their fans on Sunday with virtual races with almost all of their major stars participating.Last weeks virtual Nascar race was broadcast live on Fox with over 1.5 million viewers,the largest ever ratings for an eSports event and roughly half of those who would tune into the actual live race. The next race is on Sunday, check it out if you can, you will be surprised at how accurate the imaging and action is and how much the drivers,announcers and fans are engaged in this. I'm sure the NHL, NBA and MLB are taking a hard look at how they can implement a similiar strategy to engage their fans,players,TV and other partners in a similiar program.

https://www.enascar.com/

I did watch the eNascar Texas race last weekend and it was great. Fox did a great job with the broadcast. This is what fans need at a time like this.

[GGG]

The thing with those is that the physics engines are good enough now that these guys are actually among the best esports drivers in the world. With hockey having real hockey players at the controls would be like watching your mom play. There are tons of better EANHL players out there.

[Ace]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

The Stampede is a stubborn organization that will wait until the last possible minute to pull the plug.

There’s going to be significant discussions with insurance companies before they pull the plug.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by GGG

The thing with those is that the physics engines are good enough now that these guys are actually among the best esports drivers in the world. With hockey having real hockey players at the controls would be like watching your mom play. There are tons of better EANHL players out there.

Personally I don't care if the players are the best e-NHL controllers as the appeal for me would just be seeing 2 or 3 NHLers from each team having fun playing the video game against other players. Hearing them trash talk each other and joking around would be awesome. It becomes even better if a few of the guys really suck because they become the butt of the jokes.

[Ace]

I think the NHL should award the 2020 Stanley cup to, “Frontline Healthcare Workers, Our True Hero’s”

Then have the Stanley cup travel around to hospitals across North America in 2020-2021. Good PR and good for the brand. Not going to pay any bills, but any attempt to keep things going (unless something changes), is just going to be perceived as a money play; it’ll just take one player getting permanently disabled or dead from the virus to completely dismantle the public perception of the league.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I think the level of play will be significantly diminished as well which will make it difficult for fans. We obviously don't know when social distancing measures will be eased up but how many players have skated in the last three weeks? How many will continue a high level training program during this break?

Really, that's irrelevant.

Regardless of when they get back, be it next week or next year, there will be a very much required training camp period before any games are played. That may even require a couple exhibition games if it is sooner rather than later.

It will be interesting to see what comes out of todays pow-wow with Trump and all the major sports league commissioners and will probably give us a pretty good indication of when something might be able to get going again.

I don't expect it to be anything more than sometime i the fall at the earliest...except for maybe the PGA if they are willing to play sans spectators and even then maybe not.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Ace

I think the NHL should award the 2020 Stanley cup to, “Frontline Healthcare Workers, Our True Hero’s”

Then have the Stanley cup travel around to hospitals across North America in 2020-2021. Good PR and good for the brand. Not going to pay any bills, but any attempt to keep things going (unless something changes), is just going to be perceived as a money play; it’ll just take one player getting permanently disabled or dead from the virus to completely dismantle the public perception of the league.

We could take it around to the hospitals and have people drink out of it in celebration.

[transplant99]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1246515127920320513


Just see NO way this is practical/possible/realistic before a vaccine is available.

[dino7c]

It's not like Trump has ever been wrong about covid-19

[Reggie Dunlop]

"The North American Professional Sports Leagues (and WWE) agree to create the Donald J. Trump Trophy for Those Who Are Sick of All the Winning."

[transplant99]

This.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1246107974600441857

[kyuss275]

If Trump is saying August/September start, then his health officials are probably telling him a lot longer than that. I can't see anyway NHL, NBA ect finish off the 2019/2020 season. Its to late even at Trumps dates. Also if one player, coach ect. tests positive durring the reaminder condensed season/ playoffs, the whole thing would be shut down again for a minimum of 2 weeks.

edit: didn't see tansplants tweet. The Dr is correct.

[Beninho]

NBA is already reported to be angling to shutting down the season and are very pessimistic about finishing the season, especially after the Chinese Basketball Association had to further postpone their season after a resurgence in cases. All leagues will do their best to postpone canceling seasons in the hope of finishing but seems like their is now realization of how unrealistic and risky it would be to do even an empty stadium playoffs. I’m guessing the NBA will be first to cancel and the NHL will quickly follow after. Maybe not for a a month or more but seasons done. Sucks so much


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[Erick Estrada]

I don't understand how you could have July/August hockey. You still need a month or more for the draft and free agency so assembling 2020/21 rosters would be very rushed. I get that they will hold on to finishing the season right up to the end but IMO they should just consider the season a casualty of the pandemic and move on to next season.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I don't understand how you could have July/August hockey. You still need a month or more for the draft and free agency so assembling 2020/21 rosters would be very rushed. I get that they will hold on to finishing the season right up to the end but IMO they should just consider the season a casualty of the pandemic and move on to next season.

Also...how do they expect to make ice in places like Phoenix/Vegas/S Fla/Dallas in July when daytime average temps in places are well over 90-100 degrees F, and it be playable?

Simply not feasible.

[calgarygeologist]

At this point I don't think we will see any hockey for the rest of 2020. I'm not optimistic that things will be figured out enough by then. Society might slowly be getting back to normal towards the end of the year but I don't think we'll be ready for 15,000 people gathering until some time in 2021.

Maybe they will play for at home audiences but likely not for in arena crowds.