The OHL has pushed back the start of their season even further, with many now questioning whether it will happen at all. The entire province of Ontario will go into a lockdown on December 26, leading to a decision by the junior league to push things back indefinitely.
If the league does eventually cancel the season, it will be a lost year for many prospects trying to further their development. In that scenario, those that are already under NHL contracts could potentially join the team’s taxi squad or report to the AHL (should there be a minor league season). Those that are not signed could potentially also sign amateur contracts with the AHL like they often do after the CHL season ends, but it appears as though many will just lose an entire year of play. For draft-eligible juniors, that will only confuse their stock even more, perhaps leading to some wildly different evaluations come draft day.
- The NHL has postponed the 2021 Stadium Series game that was set to be held at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh on February 20. Though that comes as no surprise, it is just another disappointment in a long year of them. The Carolina Hurricanes have never been involved in an outdoor game and will have to wait even longer for their first appearance. The league does say it “intends to return to North Carolina for this signature event in the near future.”
- The league will release the full schedule for the upcoming season later today, which is expected to include short baseball-like series between teams. An earlier report even indicated that there could even be four-game segments between teams, though that seems to be the exception, not the rule. Leaks for opening night opponents have continued to spring up, including one recent report from Chris Johnston of Sportsnet that indicates the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers could play on January 13.
Sad, but professional and responsible behavior. The maturity of the decision making will eventually be reflected in the quality of the hockey.