NHL And NHLPA Issue Joint Update On Plans To Return To Play
The NHL and NHL Players’ Association have been cooperating of late in an effort to determine when and how the league may be able resume play and complete the 2019-20 season. After the joint Return to Play Committee met earlier today, the two side released the following statement:
Despite numerous reports and speculation over the last several days, the NHL and the NHLPA have not made any decisions or set a timeline for possible return to play scenarios.
Given recent developments in some NHL Clubs’ local communities, we are now looking ahead to a Phase 2 of the transition period that would follow the currently recommended Phase 1 period of “self-quarantine” by Players and Hockey Staff.
The precise date of transition to Phase 2, during which Players might return to small group activities in NHL Club training facilities, remains undetermined. However, provided that conditions continue to trend favorably – and, subject to potential competitive concerns as between disparately situated markets – we believe we may be able to move to Phase 2 at some point in the mid-to-later portion of May. Specific guidelines governing Player and Hockey Staff activity would be provided at that time. In the meantime, we expect Players and Hockey Staff to continue to adhere to the recommended guidelines put in place when the season was paused on March 12.
While the statement does not provide any material update to the status of the season, the tone is a hopeful one as the two sides detail a rough plan to get players back to their cities and working out in the coming month. This aligns with many of the recent rumors that foreign players had been informed that they would soon need to return to North America and their respective teams, all pointing toward a presumptive continuation of team workouts in May and perhaps training camp (Phase 3) and game action (Phase 4) later in June. As Frank Seravalli of TSN points out, releasing this information now gives players more time to figure out the logistics of a return, with most commercial airlines closed to international travel.
What the league and players’ union also must still decide is how exactly they will continue the season if it gets to that point. The latest speculation from Sportsnet’s Mark Spector details a number of NHL cities bidding for the right to host games by outlining the safest, simplest, and most cost-effective ways to house teams while minimizing the risk of Coronavirus exposure. Local government health policies will also weigh heavily into where these neutral locations might be. Beyond where the games take place, a decision will also need be made on who will take part and in what format. Spector notes that the hope of completing an 82-game season is dwindling but that 76 or 78 games may still be possible. If finishing the regular season proves too difficult, he states that a playoff tournament that includes the top six teams in each division is currently the most probable postseason format.
Again, it is difficult to put too much stock in any conjecture at this point when the NHL and NHLPA clearly state that they do not yet even have a timeline for players returning to their teams nevertheless returning to game action. However, this formal announcement is a step in the right direction and if things continue to “trend favorably”, this won’t be the last update on the 2019-20 continuation.
NHL Willing To Delay 2020-21 Start In Order To Finish 2019-20
The longer that the NHL remains out of action while continuing to maintain that they want to complete the 2019-20 regular season and have a full postseason, the more likely it becomes that next season will be affected. Boston Bruins president Cam Neely tells NBC Sports that not only is it possible that 2020-21 could be delayed, it’s a widely accepted outcome across the NHL in order to properly finish the current season. Neely states that both players and owners alike feel that it is important to complete the 2019-20 campaign if at all possible:
The feeling is there’s an opportunity to be able to push next season back and still get an 82-game schedule in next year. Everything is on the table to try and get the season completed.
Neely’s stress that a full season next year remains an important part of any plan to continue the current season aligns with what the NHL has already said. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly has already confirmed that the NHL would not entertain shortening the 2020-21 season just to accommodate the end of the 2019-20 season. However, that doesn’t seem like it will be necessary. The league is currently exploring using “hub cities” from each of the four divisions to play a condensed schedule that can be more easily safeguarded from the threats of Coronavirus by limiting travel and controlling facilities. Such a plan could allow for the season to re-start sooner rather than later. In fact, there have been whispers that training camps could open within a month with games starting as early as June. What remains to be seen is how much time would be needed one play does resume to wrap up the regular season and play the entire postseason.
Neely’s Bruins are one club especially invested in a continuation of the season. Boston was in first place in the league standings by a fairly wide margin when the season was suspended and many of their core players are in the twilight of their careers and want another shot at the Stanley Cup, especially after missing out on the title by one game last year. In fact, the Bruins may even be in favor of jumping straight to the postseason, though Neely does not believe that the NHLPA would approve of that plan. It seems Boston will have to earn the President’s Trophy with a few more regular season wins before getting their shot a potential delayed playoffs.
NHL Moving On From Neutral Site Plan
The NHL’s potential “neutral site” plan to resume the NHL in places like North Dakota or New Hampshire is dead, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet and Greg Wyshynski of ESPN. Instead, the league is considering a way to play games in a small number of NHL cities, with Friedman suggesting one from each division. Emily Kaplan of ESPN tweets that the favorites are Raleigh (Metropolitan), Edmonton (Pacific), Minnesota (Central), and a to-be-determined city for the Atlantic Division.
Obviously any plan of this nature still has plenty of hurdles before implementation. Wyshynski notes that it currently has no timetable and that the NHLPA would have to sign off on anything.
Friedman suggests that one idea is playing a triple-header per day in each location, giving the league a chance to finish the remaining regular season in three weeks. The focus is still on playing some games before the playoffs would begin.
As with any of the NHL’s plans at this point, it is important to note that these are just discussions. Nothing has been finalized or put into action, and things are still changing rapidly. For now, all that is certain is that the league’s self-isolation recommendation is in place through April 30th.
Snapshots: Player’s Last Paycheck, Hyman, Yzerman
NHL players and have deferred their decision on their last paycheck until May 15, which they hope will give both the NHL and NHLPA extra time to figure out if there will be games played this season, according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie. Players have been debating on how much of their final paycheck should go back to owners via escrow.
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun notes that players are already getting their 2018-19 escrow return next week, which should alleviate some of the pain in delaying their final paycheck. The NHLPA must decide what to do with their last paycheck, which is estimated at $140MM, but the players also owe escrow money to the system for this year, which could require giving up some of that final paycheck.
- With the recent admission that forward Zach Hyman hopes to remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs, The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) looks at what a contract with the Maple Leafs might look at, especially considering the importance of the salary cap to the team. However, the importance of a bang-and-crash winger is an important element to the team. Mirtle’s best comparable is Colorado winger Joonas Donskoi, who signed a four-year, $3.9MM AAV deal last summer. However, Hyman produces a little more than Donskoi, suggesting he is likely to make more than Donskoi’s $3.9MM cap number. A number closer to $4.5MM per season is more likely, but Mirtle wonders if Hyman’s camp would be willing to take a lower number for more term, such as maybe a six-year deal?
- With his one-year anniversary hitting Sunday, Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman made it clear to Detroit News’ Ted Kulfan that everything is going according to plan despite a dismal season that has the Red Wings at the bottom of the standings in the NHL with a 17-45-9 record. “I knew what I was getting into, and I think I had a general idea what it takes to build a team,” said Yzerman. “(Patience) is very difficult to sell, and we gotta show progress. I’m hoping the progress shows next year in wins and losses, but it will show in prospects and their development.” Yzerman, along with former GM Ken Holland, have been stockpiling picks. Yzerman acquired two second-rounders and a fourth for Andreas Athanasiou and Mike Green (all from Edmonton) and have 10 total picks in the upcoming draft. Considering quite a bit of prospect depth already in the system, the team’s long-term future looks bright so far.
NHL Entertaining Idea Of Neutral Site Games
Grand Forks, North Dakota got the ball rolling and now there may no stopping the movement. Of every possible way for the NHL to continue its season, the idea with the most traction appears to be neutral site locations where teams could play multiple games free of fans and the accompanying risks of the Coronavirus. North Dakota was the first location mentioned, followed by Manchester, New Hampshire, but now Deputy Commisioner Bill Daly tells ESPN that cities from around North America have contacted the league to pitch themselves as a potential host. Daly specifically names Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in addition to Grand Forks and Manchester, but the list keeps growing:
We do have people putting together the comprehensive laundry list of what we would need from facilities and evaluating some facilities on some level. But I can’t tell you we’ve even finished creating a list [of potential sites], much less narrowed it down.
The NHL’s goal if at all possible is to complete the regular season and host a complete postseason in some form or fashion. The league has also stated that they will not shorten the 2020-21 season to accommodate the completion of the 2019-20 season, but that a condensed campaign could be a possibility should play resume and extend deep into the summer. These are just some of a number of questions still facing the league, as Daly notes:
It’s kind of a combination of things, like when we can start a regular season [in 2020-21] and how much time we need for an off-season, and then what does the playoff format look like… I would say that a best-of-one is not something we would ever go to. I’ve always had the caveat that everything is on the table and nothing is out of the question. I would say there would be a strong opposition to ever creating a playoff where it was a single elimination. I think best-of-three is more possible, not preferred, but more possible.
Before the NHL gets around to a playoff though, they seem determined to complete the regular season. With 25 of the league’s 31 markets currently unable to even open team facilities nevertheless host games, the neutral location concept seems to be the most realistic route at this point, though Daly makes it clear that there is still plenty of work to be done on the idea. Yet, at this point fans will cling to just about any hope they can of a return for hockey and a neutral site continuation of the regular season followed by some form of postseason would be very well received by all.
Oilers Forward Colby Cave Passes Away
Oilers forward Colby Cave has passed away at the age of 25. The family released the following statement today:
It is with great sadness to share the news that our Colby Cave passed away early this morning. I (Emily, his wife) and both our families are in shock but know our Colby was loved dearly by us, his family and friends, the entire hockey community, and many more. We thank everyone for their prayers during this difficult time.
Oilers GM Ken Holland and team chairman Bob Nicholson also issued the following statement:
On behalf of the Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club and the Bakersfield Condors, we wanted to express our deepest condolences to the family and friends after the passing of our teammate Colby Cave earlier this morning. Colby was a terrific teammate with great character, admired and liked everywhere he played. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Emily, his family and friends at this very difficult time.
Cave was placed in a medically-induced coma on Tuesday after suffering a brain bleed overnight and underwent emergency surgery to remove a colloid cyst that was causing pressure on his brain soon after. While the procedure was successful, he remained in a coma until his passing today.
Cave played in 67 career NHL games over parts of three seasons between Boston who signed him as an undrafted free agent back in 2015 and Edmonton who claimed him off waivers in January of 2019. Earlier this week, his agent Jason Davidson indicated that Cave’s situation did not appear to be linked to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The entire staff at PHR joins the rest of the hockey world in sending our condolences to Cave’s family and friends.
North Dakota Could Be Option For Continuation Of NHL Season
Just about every NHL fan would agree to whatever plan gets hockey back on their TV the soonest, can best make up for the original regular season and postseason schedule, and will produce a fair and valid playoffs and champion. However, it’s doubtful that anyone figured that the best way to resume the season could be to send teams to Grand Forks, North Dakota. Yet, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes that the college hockey hotbed has been discussed as a possible ideal location for a neutral site continuation of the NHL season.
Friedman stresses that any plan for re-starting the season is only speculation at this point, but that non-NHL locations for neutral sit games seems like a possible outcome. Whether the regular season resumes as scheduled or if there is some sort of abbreviated schedule or play-in tournament, travel time could be cut back by having teams in just a few locations and neutrality removes any undue benefit to a home team. If games proceed without any fans, another distinct possibility, a location like Grand Forks also makes sense given it houses a world-class facility minus the capacity of an NHL rink. Friedman also notes that the low population density of North Dakota could make it one of safer places to continue play without an increased risk of Coronavirus exposure, while the cold climate could mitigate the ice quality risks of summer play.
Again, nothing is imminent in terms of when and how the NHL will resume play, if they do at all, and that is not expected to change for at least another month or two. Once the league comes up with a suitable plan, the players will have to agree to the terms as well. So, for now the NHL and NHLPA are exploring their options, both in format and locale, for the day we all hope arrives when hockey can return.
Snapshots: Palve, Nakladal, Christensen
The venture into North American hockey appears as if it will be short-lived for veteran Finnish forward Oula Palve. Palve initially signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins this summer, finally making the jump after a career year in the Liiga. However, he never made it to Pittsburgh, recording a paltry eight points through 37 games with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Penguins opted to move him to the Dallas Stars in January for defenseman John Nyberg, after which he recorded just five points through 23 games with AHL Texas. Palve’s time in the minors has indicated that it is unlikely he will make it to the NHL, so the speculation is now that he will return to Europe. Only this time, he is set to sign in the Swedish Hockey League, reports national news source Expressen Sport. Palve is expected to be a hot recruit for SHL teams, with Rogle and Farjestad expected to be the top suitors. At 28, Palve’s first season in North America is likely to be his last, especially if he signs a long-term deal in Sweden.
- Former NHL defenseman Jakub Nakladal is making a career change. Nakladal, 32, spent parts of two seasons in the NHL with the Calgary Flames and Carolina Hurricanes and was considered by some to be underappreciated in his time. Nakladal joined the KHL’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl midway through the 2016-17 campaign and has been one of their top defensemen ever since. He also shined at the 2018 Olympic Games with the Czech Republic. Despite this success, Nakladal has decided to return home to continue his playing career. Lokomotiv issued a press release thanking the free agent while acknowledging that he has decided to return to the Czech Extraliga, where he last played in 2011-12. There is no indication yet exactly where Nakladal might be headed, but the safe bet is that he will return to HC Pardubice, the organization he grew up in.
- Over the past few years, American International College has emerged as the star of Atlantic Hockey, which is otherwise the weakest conference in the NCAA. Their leader through this climb has been forward Blake Christensen, who has been nothing if not consistent with 20+ points in each of his four years. Last season, Christensen was a Hobey Baker candidate with 47 points in 41 games. Now that his college career is over, Christensen will look to prove that he can continue to produce in the pros despite what some may think about his Atlantic competition over the past four years. The AHL’s Bakersfield Condors will give him that chance, announcing a one-year deal for the undersized but skilled winger. Christensen could be an intriguing player to watch next season in the minors.
New York Rangers Owner James Dolan Diagnosed With COVID-19
While there are now four cases of NHL players testing positive for COVID-19, no individual has been named as of yet. However, a member of the NHL community has now officially been recognized as a victim of the Coronavirus pandemic. The NBA’s New York Knicks announced that owner James Dolan has tested positive for COVID-19. Dolan owns both the Knicks and New York Rangers and is the Executive Chairman and CEO of the Madison Square Garden Company.
Fortunately, the report indicates that Dolan, 64, is “experiencing little to no symptoms.” He and his family remain in self-isolation in their home in the Hamptons, while Dolan still continues to oversee business operations for the Madison Square Garden Company.
One of his recent decisions was in fact to set up the “MSG Relief Fund” to financially assist employees at this time, per The New York Post’s Larry Brooks. The company donated $1MM, which was then matched by Dolan’s personal Dolan Family Foundation.
The Rangers have not made an announcement of their own on Dolan’s condition, continuing a trend across the NHL of refraining from public comment on Coronavirus diagnoses. By all accounts though, Dolan is the first owner in the NHL – or NBA for that matter – to have tested positive for COVID-19. It is not believed at this time that any Rangers players have been tested for the virus.
While battling this sickness, Dolan is still undoubtedly one of the NHL owners lobbying for a continuation of the NHL regular season, if at all possible. While the Knicks are among the worst teams in the NBA, the Rangers had picked up steam before the league’s “pause” and were in the thick of the Eastern Conference wild card race. If the NHL was to jump directly into the standard 16-team postseason upon their return to action, the Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Florida Panthers would all narrowly miss the playoffs while – a worst-case scenario for Rangers fans – the rival New York Islanders would claim the final spot in the East.
Snapshots: NHL Draft, Ovechkin, Crosby, Guentzel
Yesterday, the NHL postponed the 2020 NHL Draft, which had been set to take place in Montreal on June 26-27. The league did not however indicate what the plan was to make up the event, which must occur in some form or fashion prior to the 2020-21 season. However, Pierre LeBrun writes for The Athletic that there are three possible solutions for the draft make-up. The least likely would be that the draft is simply postponed to a later date and takes place in Montreal as initially planned. LeBrun does not believe that a full draft, complete with teams, prospects, and fans alike in attendance, is a realistic option. Slightly more likely would be a scaled-down version, which LeBrun compares to the post-lockout draft in 2005, that still takes place in Montreal but with far less fanfare, but even this seems unlikely. The outcome most see occurring, falling in line with what junior leagues have decided for their own drafts, would be a virtual NHL Draft, wherein teams make their picks live from their individual war rooms. LeBrun mentions the possibility of a centralized location, in Montreal or elsewhere, with team reps and top prospects in attendance to react to the virtual selections.
If the draft does move to a virtual format, LeBrun reports that the league has promised Montreal that they will receive either the 2021 or 2022 NHL Draft. He adds that the NHL may even consider combining the NHL Entry Draft and NHL Expansion Draft into one week-long event in Montreal next summer. Given the rabid fan base of the city, it would be as good a location as any – barring Seattle itself maybe – to hold the Expansion Draft. If Montreal were to lose the draft this year only to gain two drafts next year, that would be quite the consolation prize.
- Count arguably the two biggest names in hockey as supporters of calling the regular season and jumping right into the playoffs. On a conference call today among representatives of each of the Metropolitan Division teams, Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin lobbied for the NHL to skip the remaining regular season games and resume play with the first round of the postseason, in whatever format they choose. Crosby opined that playing as many regular season games as possible would be best for the integrity of the season, but he “wouldn’t mind starting right at the playoffs.” Ovechkin was more direct, saying that he is “bored” with the league’s current pause and that his Capitals “don’t want to play those extra games” and would “rather start the playoffs right away.” Unsurprisingly, Carolina’s Jordan Staal, whose Hurricanes are safely in the postseason right now, agrees with Ovechkin and Crosby, while brother Marc Staal of the New York Rangers, who were hot before the league postponed its action, would rather resume the regular season in hopes of getting in. Curiously though, Columbus’ Nick Foligno, whose Blue Jackets would be in the standard playoff structure by total points but not by points percentage, the likely determinant of qualification, supported a jump right to the postseason, while the New York Islanders’ Anders Lee, whose team is in the opposite situation, preferred to finish the regular season. Opinions are sure to change based on the length of the league’s pause, the options for returning to action, and the potential format of postseason play, but for now there is major support behind surrendering the regular season in favor of an immediate postseason of some sort.
- There are few NHL stakeholders who are benefiting from the current indefinite break in action. One of the only exceptions is Crosby’s teammate, Jake Guentzel. Guentzel suffered a shoulder injury in late December and was given a four-to-six-month recovery window following surgery. In a normal league year, that likely meant that Guentzel would be lucky to play again this season, only able to return for the playoffs, and almost certainly wouldn’t be able to get back to full strength. However, given the delay of the current pause, the status quo has shifted. Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review relays word from GM Jim Rutherford that Guentzel’s rehab is going well and the team is optimistic that he will play again if the season resumes. Especially considering the strong likelihood that the NHL will need a mini training camp for teams to get back to game speed, Guentzel may even be back at full strength before a potential resumption of the regular season or start of the postseason in June or July. Guentzel recorded 43 points in 39 games playing with an injury-depleted forward corps prior to his own injury and would be a major asset for the Penguins, who would be the No. 3 seed in the Metropolitan Division if the playoffs began based on the current standings.