[Official] NHL Return To Play Thread (24 team play off, 15 team draft lottery)

[Boudrias]

IMHO there was no way that 2 teams from the west would be hub cities. TO was a likely choice as eastern time zone broadcasts are critical to viewership numbers. TV CUP Playoffs more than at anytime in the past. Big chance of it being a bust as many fans won’t bother watching. 

[mll]

9 minutes ago, Boudrias said:

IMHO there was no way that 2 teams from the west would be hub cities. TO was a likely choice as eastern time zone broadcasts are critical to viewership numbers. TV CUP Playoffs more than at anytime in the past. Big chance of it being a bust as many fans won’t bother watching. 

The league's preference was for the home team not be based at home.  There were even discussions of the West playing in the East and the East in the West.  

 

Thomas Drance when talking about Vancouver as hub was saying that players prefer playing earlier in the day and that 7pm games are for fans.  There are no fans in the stands so the East playing at a more convenient schedule for players wouldn't be an issue for eastern viewership.

 

It's far less convenient for the West to be based in the East though.  A 7pm game for viewers in Vancouver would be 10pm. 

 

[BPA]

1 hour ago, mll said:

The league's preference was for the home team not be based at home.  There were even discussions of the West playing in the East and the East in the West.  

 

Thomas Drance when talking about Vancouver as hub was saying that players prefer playing earlier in the day and that 7pm games are for fans.  There are no fans in the stands so the East playing at a more convenient schedule for players wouldn't be an issue for eastern viewership.

 

It's far less convenient for the West to be based in the East though.  A 7pm game for viewers in Vancouver would be 10pm. 

 

No fans at games.  So start time doesn't seem to matter any more.

You could have games start at 4pm (Pacific Daylight Time) in Vancouver for viewership at 7PM (Eastern Daylight Time) in Toronto.

[mll]

1 minute ago, BPA said:

No fans at games.  So start time doesn't seem to matter any more.

You could have games start at 4pm (Pacific Daylight Time) in Vancouver for viewership at 7PM (Eastern Daylight Time) in Toronto.

Exactly.  Playing in the West is not an issue for the East.  They could have both hubs in the West.

 

It's more problematic to have 2 hubs in the East because 7pm viewership would have games played at 10pm.

[BPA]

1 minute ago, mll said:

Exactly.  Playing in the West is not an issue for the East.  They could have both hubs in the West.

 

It's more problematic to have 2 hubs in the East because 7pm viewership would have games played at 10pm.

Lol.

 

Games will never be for the viewership in the West.  It's always been for the East.

[mll]

Just now, BPA said:

Lol.

 

Games will never be for the viewership in the West.  It's always been for the East.

There are 12 teams in the West participating in the extended season.   West-East only meet in the finals.  

[BPA]

2 minutes ago, mll said:

There are 12 teams in the West participating in the extended season.   West-East only meet in the finals.  

Yeah but it's the TV deals and NHL that will dictate the times games starts.  There is probably an increased % of viewership across all time zones if they can get games started earlier.  Cuz let's face it...everyone is hungry for sports and would probably tune in to it.

[mll]

2 minutes ago, BPA said:

Yeah but it's the TV deals and NHL that will dictate the times games starts.  There is probably an increased % of viewership across all time zones if they can get games started earlier.  Cuz let's face it...everyone is hungry for sports and would probably tune in to it.

There will initially be 6 games per day.  3 games per conference.  They are also going to try and spread them but there will still be games overlapping.  7pm in Vancouver is 10pm in Toronto. Having the West in the West is more convenient for players than have them play at 10pm.  

 

[mll]

 

[-Vintage Canuck-]

 

[Slegr]

38 minutes ago, mll said:

There will initially be 6 games per day.  3 games per conference.

Assuming some of these games are played in the same arena, I wonder what they’ll do if some games go into lengthy overtime. Start times could start to go out the window.

[-Vintage Canuck-]

 

[Monty]

24 minutes ago, -Vintage Canuck- said:

 

Have two questions (which nobody can answer):

 

1. How many of those positive cases are “False-Positives”; and 

 

2. How many that have tested negative are “False-Negatives”

 

I know sports leagues want to come back, because the financial strains are dire. But you gotta wonder if coming back at all is even a possibility for the foreseeable future. Perhaps waiting until a vaccine is the only “safe” option. But again, because of the financial implications, that’s not something owners of any team can afford to be an answer.

[mll]

15 minutes ago, Monty said:

Have two questions (which nobody can answer):

 

1. How many of those positive cases are “False-Positives”; and 

 

2. How many that have tested negative are “False-Negatives”

 

I know sports leagues want to come back, because the financial strains are dire. But you gotta wonder if coming back at all is even a possibility for the foreseeable future. Perhaps waiting until a vaccine is the only “safe” option. But again, because of the financial implications, that’s not something owners of any team can afford to be an answer.

 

Players are tested multiple times - more than 1450 tests so far for the 250 or so players that entered phase 2. 

[Monty]

6 minutes ago, mll said:

 

Players are tested multiple times - more than 1450 tests so far for the 250 or so players that entered phase 2. 

Helpful. Thanks!

[Roger Neilsons Towel]

[skategal]

18 minutes ago, Roger Neilsons Towel said:

I'm disappointed that one of our youngbloods thinks that "a lot of Vancity" said it - cheering against the team to do well in the Playin/playoffs.  I don't think that's the case, or at least I hope not.  There will always be some that look for greener grass over the fence, but I hope that most of us will cheer the team on to win as many games as possible.  

 

[I.Am.Ironman]

49 minutes ago, skategal said:

I'm disappointed that one of our youngbloods thinks that "a lot of Vancity" said it - cheering against the team to do well in the Playin/playoffs.  I don't think that's the case, or at least I hope not.  There will always be some that look for greener grass over the fence, but I hope that most of us will cheer the team on to win as many games as possible.  

 

He is misquoted... it was on Twitch and there was a live chat... somebody's username was "AlanaVanCity" or something to that effect. That user said that "those fans can kick rocks"... So what Gaud said was "I think they aren't real fans, and yup, 'AlanaVanCity' said it, they can kick rocks"

[skategal]

5 hours ago, I.Am.Ironman said:

He is misquoted... it was on Twitch and there was a live chat... somebody's username was "AlanaVanCity" or something to that effect. That user said that "those fans can kick rocks"... So what Gaud said was "I think they aren't real fans, and yup, 'AlanaVanCity' said it, they can kick rocks"

Ah, that makes more sense....thanks!  

[kurtis]

We are going to have an outbreak if they play in vegas. someone will screw up at some point. I can see it happening and screwing everything up once it starts.