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Latest On Hub Cities And NHL’s Decision Not To Quarantine For Training Camps

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The NHL and Players’ Association have yet to finalize their return-to-play agreement, but the presumptive deal sets players to arrive in hub cities for competitive play in less than a month. While players will be quarantined during their time in the hubs, they are unrestricted right now, charged with managing their own exposure risk until hub-play begins, per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press.

With no quarantine for training camps, players carry the hefty responsibility of policing themselves. The plan, more or less, is for players to simply stay home when they’re not skating. Whyno provides a quote from Carolinas Medical Center medical director of infection prevention Katie Passaretti, who adds the proper gravitas to the situation. Said Passaretti:

“You have a whole bunch of people in close proximity to each other for prolonged periods of time, they may be traveling together exposed to other individuals that you don’t know who they’ve been exposed to. Any time you’re bringing groups together and then sending them back out into the world, there’s potential for further spread if one of those individuals was asymptotically infected or early in the stages of symptomatic infection.”

Concern for player safety is well-caused, especially as coronavirus cases rise approaching the July 10 opening date for training camps. Whether defined as the much-anticipated second wave or “hot spots,” the numbers have to be concerning to players and their families. Florida experienced a new single-day high of coronavirus just today with over 8,942 confirmed cases, per Ben Conarck and Daniel Chang of the Miami Herald. Nearly a quarter of Florida’s confirmed have been newly reported in the last week, a disconcerting sign for a state that’s seen more than 3,400 deaths.

Meanwhile, it’s unclear where these health concerns fall in the hierarchy of criteria for selecting hub cities for postseason play. Vancouver Minister of Health Adrian Dix was personally disappointed the NHL couldn’t find its way to British Columbia, per Patrick Johnston of The Province. Dix said, “Vancouver — and anybody who’s paying any attention at all knows this — is the best possible place for them to come. Because we enforce public health rules in British Columbia thoroughly and completely. This is the reason to come.”

Ontario – still in the running – had a record low number of confirmed cases combined with a record-high number of tests, per Rob Ferguson of the Toronto Star. That’s certainly good news, but Ontario is also continuing to let asymptomatic workers return to their offices, tweets Richard Zussman of Global BC. The exact protocols for what happens when a player or staff member does test positive remains at issue in finalizing the hub locations.

Stateside, there were a record number of COVID-19 cases on Wednesday (34,500 cases), per Whyno. There’s even some concern that a Nevada strain of the coronavirus is spreading more rapidly than others, per Mary Hynes of the Las Vegas Journal-Review, though there’s still significant debate over the veracity of those claims. With Vegas expected to win one of the hub awards, the conditions in and around the city are surely being tracked closely by NHL officials. According to the New York Times coronavirus tracker, cases in Nevada are on the rise with 483 new cases on Tuesday marking a single-day high.

All in all, there’s clearly a ton of information for the NHL and NHLPA to process – and that’s not likely to change even after the hub locations are finalized. It’s not surprising the announcement was delayed from Monday, the original decision date. Still, with the July 10 training camp date looming and competitive play not much further off, the league is staring down a crucial 24-48 hours of decision-making.

Dallas And Pittsburgh Ruled Out As Hub City Candidates

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We still don’t know which two cities will be serving as the hub hosts for the NHL’s planned return to action but we now know two more that won’t be.  After Columbus and Minnesota were reported as out on Tuesday, the Penguins announced that they were no longer in the mix while Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that Dallas has been informed that they are out as well.

That means that the hub city field is down to six teams.  In the East, Toronto is the last one standing while out West, Chicago, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Vegas are still contenders.

The league’s preference is to have host teams play out of the opposite hub (in other words, the East plays in a Western city and vice versa) but that shouldn’t be construed as a sign that Toronto should be viewed as a contender.  If Los Angeles was to get it, they’d be able to host the West without any home ice ’advantage’ as the Kings aren’t among the 24 teams taking part.  The league has also said they have no concerns about both cities being outside of the Eastern time zone.

There is no firm timetable as to when the host cities will be announced.  However, with health and safety protocols still needing to be worked out, an announcement should be in the near future to allow the NHL and NHLPA to work out the final details while being able to hammer out city-specific arrangements.

Snapshots: Hub Favorites, Phase 2, Postseason Rules

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Six cities remain in the hunt as potential hub locations for when the NHL returns to play. As things stand right now, Vegas and either Vancouver or Edmonton are the frontrunners, per The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. Toronto, Chicago, and Los Angeles remain outside contenders – but they are still very much in the hunt. Of course, Vegas, Vancouver, and Edmonton are all in the Western Conference, meaning one of the Golden Knights, Canucks, or Oilers would play their games at home – should LeBrun’s hunch prove correct. The NHL isn’t overly concerned, per LeBrun, because without fans present, the games would still qualify as technically neutrally located, even though whichever team does stay home would enjoy a certain amount of comfort in their home building. Finding the best, safest fit to house 12 teams at a time is the priority for now, over maintaining a perfect degree of parity. Let’s check in on the other tidbits of news that have eeked out over the last few hours concerning the NHL’s return to play…

  • Phase 2 takes another step forward tomorrow, allowing for up to 12 skaters to share the ice at a time during workouts, tweets Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. Only six skaters had been allowed at a time up until now. A successful expansion could prove a crucial development given the recent rash of COVID-19 cases popping up across the sports landscape.
  • We also now know – thanks to NHL deputy commissioner Billy Daly – that each of the 24 participating teams will play one or two exhibition games prior to the round-robin and play-in phases of the NHL postseason, per Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. That’s not a ton of ice time to ready the troops, but with such a small window of viability, it makes sense to limit player exposure prior to any games of consequence.
  • In a more logistical matter, the NHL and Players’ Association have agreed to extend contracts and visas for players whose contracts were going to expire on June 30th, tweets CapFriendly. That’s not to indicate a more comprehensive agreement between the two sides, as will be required before the NHL officially returns to play. The matter of expiring contracts appears to have been agreed upon as a solitary issue.
  • Teams will have 30 players available for July 10 training camps, with playoff rosters trimmed to 28, per Ben Kuzma of Postmedia Sports. For camp and the playoffs, teams will be granted an unlimited number of goalies. Being as only 6 members of each team have been allowed to share the ice at a time through today, the scope of the NHL’s undertaking will clearly require heavy-lifting from logistics and operations departments.

NHL Will Not Change Phase 3 Start Date In Response To Positive COVID Tests

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It was a rude awakening for the NHL yesterday. With Phase 2 voluntary workouts underway and excitement finally starting to build toward resuming the 2019-20 season later this summer, it seemed like everything might come to a screeching halt following yesterday’s revelation that 11 players had tested positive for Coronavirus, including Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews, since workouts began on June 8. Additionally, the Tampa Bay Lightning had to shut down their arena and stop all workouts with three players and two staff members among the many new COVID cases in the state of Florida. The NHL shut down in the first place in part to avoid the spread of the virus among its players and staff, but the early signs show that re-starting the league this soon might not be possible if this remains a key objective.

Not so fast though, says the league. Michael Russo and James Mirtle of The Athletic released an in-depth piece earlier today that details the many concerns that player and other stakeholders have with the NHL’s plans to resume play, especially following the positive test confirmed yesterday. Yet, the most important piece of the article is this: the NHL is not considering delaying the start of Phase 3 at this time. The next stage in the league’s plan to return to play is to open training camps on July 10, just under three weeks from now. This would set up the start of the expanded postseason for early August, a timeline that the league hopes would allow them to complete the season, take time off for the off-season, and begin the 2020-21 campaign before the start of the new year. As of right now, 11 positive COVID tests are not enough for the NHL to slow their plan of attack.

Of course, the one caveat to all of these plans is that the players have not yet agreed to the terms of the return to play plan. While the NHL and NHLPA have worked together to approve a potential format that the majority of teams and players felt was fair, there still needs to be a formal vote in which the players agree to return from the league’s pause. With positive cases on the rise, concerns over the conditions related to returning to play, and some players still struggling with simply returning to their teams, all well detailed by Russo and Mirtle, a “yes” vote may not be as easy as it once seemed.

11 NHL Players Test Positive For COVID-19

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It has been a harrowing day throughout North American professional sports with plenty of positive tests being identified, including in the NHL.  The league released the following statement through their PR account on Twitter providing an update on their testing situation:

Since NHL Clubs were permitted to open their training facilities on June 8, all Players entering these facilities for voluntary training have been subject to mandatory testing for COVID-19.  Through today, in excess of 200 Players have undergone multiple testing.  A total of 11 of these Players have tested positive.  All Players who have tested positive have been self-isolated and are following CDC and Health Canada protocols.  The NHL will provide a weekly update on the number of tests administered to Players and the results of those tests.  The League will not be providing information on the identity of the Players or their Clubs.

The current protocol is that players are tested once upon arriving in their club city and must test negative before they can take to the ice.  Once that happened, they are tested a minimum of two times per week after that.

The league is currently in its second phase out of four in its Return to Play protocol with the third stage being the beginning of training camps and the fourth being the beginning of the play-in round or for the top four teams in each conference, a set of round robin games to determine postseason seeding.  As things stand, it’s only in that final stage that full quarantining rules will be in effect.  However, the final protocols are still being negotiated between the NHL and the NHLPA.

Auston Matthews Tests Positive For COVID-19

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Earlier today, reports surfaced that Tampa Bay wasn’t the only team that had a player test positive for COVID-19.  It appears that is indeed the case as Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun reports that Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews has tested positive for the virus and has gone into quarantine at his home in Arizona.  The team later released the following statement:

Per the National Hockey League protocol with respect to COVID-19, the Toronto Maple Leafs will not be commenting on reports surrounds testing for any of the club’s players or staff. A person’s medical information in this regard is private. The club will defer to the NHL’s policy on handling the disclosure of positive tests results, in that the league will provide updates on a regular basis with aggregate totals of the numbers of tests conducted and number of positive tests reported without disclosing either the identities of affected clubs or players.

Simmons notes that Matthews has been skating with several Coyotes players, some of which have tested positive as well although the names of those have not yet been released.  Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen had been living with Matthews for part of this extended break in the schedule but is no longer in Arizona; Simmons adds that he has not tested positive.

There has been a spike in positive COVID-19 tests in several states in recent days and while NHL teams are able to resume training, there are no quarantine restrictions in place at this time as there will be if play resumes as planned later this summer.

Lightning Close Facilities Due To Positive COVID-19 Tests

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3:08 PM: Lightning GM Julien BriseBois released the following statement through Twitter concerning the positive tests:

We have learned that three players and additional staff members have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.  Those players have been self-isolated following CDC protocals and are asymptomatic other than a few cases of low-grade fever.  Those who have been in contact with these individuals have been notified.  The Lightning continue testing and are strictly following all NHL and government procedures as part of the league’s Phase 2 guidelines.  Upon receiving positive tests yesterday, team training facilities were immediately closed with all players and staff being sent home.  Those facilities will remain temporarily shut down until we can ensure a safe environment.

12:16 PM: While NHL facilities are open as part of the second phase of the NHL’s Return to Play plan, at least one will be shut down temporarily.  TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports (all Twitter links) that three Lightning players and two staff members have tested positive for COVID-19.  The expectation is that if all other players and staff test negative, the facility will re-open in the near future although Diana C. Nearhos of the Tampa Bay Times reports that Amalie Arena (where the team was skating) will be closed to non-essential staff until July 6th.

The identities of the players and staff were not identified.  As McKenzie noted in an Insider Trading appearance on Thursday, that information is unlikely to be made available.  The NHL (in conjunction with the NHLPA) appears to be shifting towards the approach of the NBA where an announcement will simply be made that someone tested positive without making any other type of identification.  To that end, Joe Smith, Michael Russo, and Craig Custance of The Athletic report (subscription required) that there are other positive cases around the league at the moment that have not been announced.

It’s worth noting that at this stage in the process, the skates are voluntary and as such, there is no league-mandated quarantine in place.  The expectation remains that if play resumes (likely in early August), there will be a full quarantine for both hub cities.

While one set of positive tests at this stage isn’t going to cause a significant setback, it certainly serves as a sobering reminder that there is still a long way to go towards a safe and healthy resumption of play as the pandemic continues on.

Latest On Return To Play And CBA Talks

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Negotiating through all of the safety and logistical challenges as the NHL and NHLPA attempt to finalize the framework for the NHL’s final two phases of their Return to Play plan is difficult enough.  Adding in a CBA extension only makes it that much tougher but as Pierre LeBrun reports in his latest column for The Athletic (subscription required), that is indeed what the two sides are working on.

In fact, LeBrun notes that the two elements (final plans for the NHL’s return plus a CBA Memo of Understanding) could very well be presented as a package deal to the players before the end of the month.

The main reason for this would appear to be the salary cap.  With the expected drop in revenue for the remainder of this season plus next year as attendance will likely take a dip, escrow is expected to rise considerably.  The two sides are believed to be negotiating a fixed percentage with the hopes that as fans are able to return and a new television agreement in the United States is worked out, any lingering ‘debt’ to get the revenue split back to 50/50 will be paid off over time.  Salary deferrals are also on the table.

In terms of shorter-term issues, LeBrun adds that the sides are working on an opt-out provision that would allow players who are uncomfortable with returning to sit out the postseason.  It would almost certainly come with some sort of financial hit – perhaps forfeiture of their final regular season pay which has still not been resolved and/or not getting a playoff pool share – but the option to sit out would be there.

If a CBA vote is indeed required, it would require all NHLPA members to vote on it.  Conversely, in the previous votes on Return to Play protocols, only team representatives were included.  Needing the rubber staff from the full membership will take several days at a minimum to complete and with this being tied in with plans on the next phase (slated to start July 10th), time is starting to become of the essence, especially with a new Critical Dates calendar needed by the end of the month.  To that end, talks are expected to continue daily until an agreement is reached.

In the meantime, an announcement is expected on the two hub cities by next week with a previous report saying that it could come as soon as Monday.  Once that occurs, some more details for the third phase can start to be finalized.  Despite an uptick in recent positive COVID-19 tests, Vegas is still believed to be a front-runner while the Canadian Press reported late Thursday that a path has been cleared for a Canadian host city to bypass the current 14-day quarantine requirement which increases the odds that Toronto, Edmonton, or Vancouver will have an opportunity to be a hub.  As TSN’s Bob McKenzie noted in the latest Insider Trading segment, the NHL’s preference is to have hub city host teams play in the other hub to avoid any possible home ice advantage, that’s only possible if each conference has one hub.

There has been a lot of progress made in recent weeks as the two sides work their way towards a resumption of play but there is also a lot that still needs to be accomplished over the next few weeks for that to happen.

Snapshots: Resuming Play, Viewing Experience, Blackhawks

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The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association has thus far avoided much of the public acrimony that’s developed between other leagues and their players (namely, the MLB, but to a lesser extent, the NBA as well). But the largest hurdle is yet to come, per ESPN’s Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski. There is, of course, the final decision on the two hub cities, which will be put to a vote once the league makes their decision. But the conditions within those hubs are likely to be the biggest barrier to resuming play. Namely, players aren’t wild about being sequestered away from their families, reports Kaplan and Wyshynski. A major factor going into the selection of the hub cities is the extent of accommodations and dining options available, but those issues have largely been framed as a means to maintain player morale – not necessarily to accommodate families. Needless to say, these are not minor issues, and the players will surely have much to say on the issue when it comes time for the Phase 3 and Phase 4 votes. More from around the league on returning to action…

  • In other parts of the hockey-verse, discussions are underway to alter the viewing experience of the NHL as we know it should play resume without fans, per The Athletic’s Sean Fitz-Gerald. Obviously, without fans present, the ambiance of playoff hockey is going to be much, much different. That said, interested parties are working on ways to make it work. Some ideas being kicked around are putting microphones on the players or lighting the ice to make it appear spotlit (blacking out the seats as much as possible). Of course, these are largely cosmetic issues for TV networks to work on while the logistics of returning to play are still being litigated. Regardless, expect at least a new wrinkle or two to your NHL broadcast if/when NHL players are back on the ice.
  • For their part, the Blackhawks are looking inward as they prepare for a potential play-in series against the Oilers, per Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Chicago Sports. With coaches not allowed on the ice with players until the training camp portion of the reboot begins, players are focusing on their own conditioning and timing. That’s likely the plan moving forward, at least for the Blackhawks and coach Jeremy Colliton, who said, “For now, the focus has been our own players and their development and how can we improve within ourselves watching video of our own game. That’s how training camp will be, too. But as we get closer to that series, we’ll dig deeper and make sure we’ve covered all the bases.”

Roman Polak May Not Return To Stars, Signs With HC Vitkovice

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The rest of the 2019-2020 NHL season remains in limbo – at least for the time being – but that hasn’t stopped Roman Polak of the Dallas Stars from planning his future. Polak has agreed to a contract with HC Vitkovice of the Czech league, per the team’s website. The deal with his hometown team does not technically begin until next season. The agreement exists in principle only until his contract with the Dallas Stars runs out at the end of the season.

Theoretically, Polak would be available for a playoff run with the Stars, though the blueliner doesn’t appear all that motivated to finish out the season under the current circumstances. If Polak does return for the remainder of the NHL season, it would likely require significant pressure from the Stars. Given his druthers, Polak pretty plainly prefers to move along to the next phase of his hockey career.

The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro shares a quote from Polak, originally captured by sport.c.z, where Polak said, “I am already determined to stay at home … If I really had to finish the NHL, I would go. But I will do everything to make it unnecessary. I will definitely be here next season.”  

The soundbites from Polak paint a picture of someone steering clear of the remaining 2019-2020 season. Polak was set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, so the 34-year-old is in a position to control his own destiny. How hard the Stars push Polak to return remains to be seen, but there’s a good chance Polak has played his last game in the NHL. The bruising defenseman appeared in 41 games this season for the Stars – his second in Dallas – recording four assists without scoring a goal in 16:40 ATOI. He missed roughly six weeks early in the season after fracturing his sternum while attempting a hit against the Bruins in early October.

From an aerial view, Polak’s decision to make a move for the future of his hockey life is certainly interesting in the context of the coronavirus shutdown. There’s a possibility that he’s not going to be the only player that prefers not to return for the 24-team playoff.

As for the Stars, they’re in a good position to withstand the potential loss of Polak. As one of the top four teams in the Western Conference, the Stars will ease back into play via a round-robin with the Blues, Avalance, and Golden Knights to determine the seeding for the top four spots heading into the postseason. Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas News provides comment from Stars GM Jim Nill, who said, “We can’t make someone come back under their wishes. If anyone wants to stay home, that is their decision.”

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