How would it work?

[mikeyman109]

I have been resigned to the fact that the season is basically done.  I am of the mind set that we should just cancel it and resume as normal in October. Every newscast shows the idea that they are considering using a "HUB city" to allow teams to play games with no fans. What I am most confused about is how would you continue to have the scheduled games between all the teams as scheduled. I am of the understanding they would have 6 or so teams in one city. What if those 6 teams were not scheduled to play each other in the last 15 games?  I am very confused by how we would continue with the season with all teams playing a fair schedule.

As for jumping right into the playoffs, the scenario they have been discussing has been around Winning percentage. We would like that in Vancouver but I am sure Nashville would be pissed.

Above all player and worker safety is the most important issue here. Playing the rest of the season or handing out the Stanley cup has to take a back seat. So I ask the question, perhaps others here have a better understanding of how this will work? Your thoughts?

[Phil_314]

Play for pride with this haha
https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-player-gaming-challenge-set-to-begin-april-30/c-316705286

Though only the best guy per team, winner gets the virtual Cup 

[Gurn]

I don't think it will work. Just so many things to consider:

 

Some players decide not to show up

So many  people (45?) per team then add in camera crew and guys in production truck, facility event/ maintenance crew,  on and off ice officials, plus the required doctor and ambulance.

If they house the teams in nearby hotels, does that mean the hotel employees can't go home to see their family till the hockey season is over? Who the heck would agree to that for those wages?

 Add all the cleaning staff, restaurant ,kitchen and maintenance staff and suddenly almost a thousand people are involved, per hub.

 

Just too much to go wrong,  imo.

 

[IBatch]

It’s early yet to know if the two countries health care systems is not going to get creamed (again for some state’s)...for sure it could be organized and all those associates shouldn’t have too much time social distancing the games.  If they do go ahead I’d be surprised.  It’s not hard to charter planes and use the same flight staff - personally I think that it’s a must that teams finish out the schedule against the teams they originally need to play - which would include those that are mathematically eliminated.  

[YEGCanuck]

As a fan I am already over the season. It was an unusual ending, your basic once-in-a-lifetime scenario and yes it is over. Time to focus on next year and what that looks like. Of course I have no knowledge of how owners cope with such a significant hit to budgets, not to mention the NHL brand and the leagues partnership commitments. I can understand however how individual players may feel about the health and safety of their own family vs exposure to life-threatening situations playing a game. Time to call it a season.

[King Heffy]

UFC is an interesting test case right now.  We'll see if there's any fallout from the PPV.

[Coconuts]

I'll be surprised if the season resumes in any capacity, and for the most part I'm over it. Hockey ain't a summer thing for me, I might track it but I wouldn't be as invested with all sorts of other summer things going on. This doesn't make me any less a fan, I'm pretty much here every day and I eat up the same news everyone else does, but the prospect doesn't appeal to me the same way it does some others. 

 

[Where's Wellwood]

5 hours ago, mikeyman109 said:

I have been resigned to the fact that the season is basically done.  I am of the mind set that we should just cancel it and resume as normal in October. 

 

What makes you think things will be normal in October? There is very likely to be a second wave of covid come flu season. I'd rather find a way to finish the season that has had 68-70 actual games completed than count on next season running as normal when it's just as likely to be impacted as well. 

 

Plus, we have Markstrom, Tanev, and Toffoli for the rest of this season, we won't have all of them next season. I want the season completed with them since next year's team is likely worse with a stagnant salary cap

 

4 hours ago, Coconuts said:

I'll be surprised if the season resumes in any capacity, and for the most part I'm over it. Hockey ain't a summer thing for me, I might track it but I wouldn't be as invested with all sorts of other summer things going on. This doesn't make me any less a fan, I'm pretty much here every day and I eat up the same news everyone else does, but the prospect doesn't appeal to me the same way it does some others. 

 

What other summer things will be allowed to happen? I doubt beaches are fully opened. The Stanley Cup finals play into June every year anyway. You'd be that much more disinterested if that becomes July/August?

[Where's Wellwood]

I can understand people thinking that this season is likely done already.

 

I can't understand people wanting this season to be officially cancelled EXCEPT for if it's about health concern.

 

Even the logistics of point percentage not being fair, or uneven games, is an issue the AHL deals with every year. Teams actually play different numbers of games in that league and playoffs qualification is done by points percentage every year. It works out. If the NHL has to do it for this year, well Winnipeg and Nashville will have to suck it up. I'm not giving up on the season because their fans will be unhappy.

[NHL'er]

8 hours ago, Where's Wellwood said:

I can understand people thinking that this season is likely done already.

 

I can't understand people wanting this season to be officially cancelled EXCEPT for if it's about health concern.

 

Even the logistics of point percentage not being fair, or uneven games, is an issue the AHL deals with every year. Teams actually play different numbers of games in that league and playoffs qualification is done by points percentage every year. It works out. If the NHL has to do it for this year, well Winnipeg and Nashville will have to suck it up. I'm not giving up on the season because their fans will be unhappy.

I reckon regular season is very likely done. Whether or not there will be an expanded playoffs is still up in the air, and I'm inclined to believe that there will be some playoffs, and more hockey in one form or another before we officially close this 2019/2020 season. 

[NHL'er]

There is just too much financially depending on playoff games being played (i.e. from Broadcasting, Programming and general Licensing Contracts) for the NHL and NHLPA not to be pushing with everything they have for playoff games to happen. 

[BertaNuck]

If it continues I will join Tank nation So we can keep our pick and roll the dice in the Draft lottery

 

want nothing to do with a modified season and the thought of going for the cup

it would never be respected by anyone and most likely made fun of 

[Coconuts]

9 hours ago, Where's Wellwood said:

What makes you think things will be normal in October? There is very likely to be a second wave of covid come flu season. I'd rather find a way to finish the season that has had 68-70 actual games completed than count on next season running as normal when it's just as likely to be impacted as well. 

 

Plus, we have Markstrom, Tanev, and Toffoli for the rest of this season, we won't have all of them next season. I want the season completed with them since next year's team is likely worse with a stagnant salary cap

 

What other summer things will be allowed to happen? I doubt beaches are fully opened. The Stanley Cup finals play into June every year anyway. You'd be that much more disinterested if that becomes July/August?

The school year just wrapped up, there are lots of other things I could and will be doing with my free time. I'm not overly concerned about beaches, the island has all sorts of places I can go out while maintaining my distance from others. 

 

And yeah, I would be more disinterested, because usually you have a continuous season leading right up to the playoffs. Now the league has been shut down for two months. Will I keep tabs on things if they start up? Sure, but I won't be as invested as I would have been if this year had been less bizarre. 

[IBatch]

7 hours ago, NHL'er said:

There is just too much financially depending on playoff games being played (i.e. from Broadcasting, Programming and general Licensing Contracts) for the NHL and NHLPA not to be pushing with everything they have for playoff games to happen. 

Mostly for the owners.  Players get paid their salary until the end of June regardless where they play or not - a relatively small amount is set aside for teams that make the playoffs which amounts to about 13k if you lose in the first round - to 200k if you win the cup.  For most players that is peanuts.  I’m sure they understand the implications of a long lay-off....and that winning a cup is something they all want to do...but doubt they are thinking much about the relatively small pool of money put aside for them. 

[NHL'er]

2 hours ago, IBatch said:

Mostly for the owners.  Players get paid their salary until the end of June regardless where they play or not - a relatively small amount is set aside for teams that make the playoffs which amounts to about 13k if you lose in the first round - to 200k if you win the cup.  For most players that is peanuts.  I’m sure they understand the implications of a long lay-off....and that winning a cup is something they all want to do...but doubt they are thinking much about the relatively small pool of money put aside for them. 

Sure but it's also in their interest to play if it helps revenues and the salary cap in anyway. 

[mll]

14 hours ago, IBatch said:

Mostly for the owners.  Players get paid their salary until the end of June regardless where they play or not - a relatively small amount is set aside for teams that make the playoffs which amounts to about 13k if you lose in the first round - to 200k if you win the cup.  For most players that is peanuts.  I’m sure they understand the implications of a long lay-off....and that winning a cup is something they all want to do...but doubt they are thinking much about the relatively small pool of money put aside for them. 

Playoff revenue is part of HRR (hockey related revenue).  Per the CBA that amount is split equally between players and owners.  Financially it is just as critical for the players to have playoff games.  The higher HRR the less players will have to reimburse.  

 

The players have delayed the decision on their last paycheck to mid-May.  They are debating whether they should forego their last salary check as the salaries already paid are well in excess of 50% of HRR - escrow retained won't be sufficient to cover their share of losses in HRR.

 

The NHL is about a 5 billion dollar league and some estimates see a drop in revenue by around a 1 billion if the playoffs can't be completed.

 

Rough proxy - 31 teams x 81.5M cap = 2.5 billion.   Half of 4 billion is 2 billion.  Given the 50% split of HRR players owe back 500M from their salaries - the escrow they've been paying is insufficient to cover that level of loss.

 

LeBrun believes that completing the season and holding the playoffs could allow to generate 300 to 500M in revenue.  There are costs to run the league in a pandemic though.  

For next season some owners have apparently already expressed concern about resuming the league without fans in the stands.  Lavoie wonders if they can even play if revenue drop from 5 billion to 3 billion.  

 

The league is talking of starting as late as December.  They can't operate on TV rights alone - the hope is that with a later start date there might be some more normalcy.

 

Edited May 14, 2020 by mll

[mll]

On 5/13/2020 at 3:28 AM, mikeyman109 said:

I have been resigned to the fact that the season is basically done.  I am of the mind set that we should just cancel it and resume as normal in October. Every newscast shows the idea that they are considering using a "HUB city" to allow teams to play games with no fans. What I am most confused about is how would you continue to have the scheduled games between all the teams as scheduled. I am of the understanding they would have 6 or so teams in one city. What if those 6 teams were not scheduled to play each other in the last 15 games?  I am very confused by how we would continue with the season with all teams playing a fair schedule.

As for jumping right into the playoffs, the scenario they have been discussing has been around Winning percentage. We would like that in Vancouver but I am sure Nashville would be pissed.

Above all player and worker safety is the most important issue here. Playing the rest of the season or handing out the Stanley cup has to take a back seat. So I ask the question, perhaps others here have a better understanding of how this will work? Your thoughts?

 

Teams wouldn't be playing their remaining regular season schedule.  They would be playing against the teams in the hub they have been allocated to. The league apparently made it known that even if their home city was selected as hub the home team might not necessarily be stationed there.

 

There is no way to make it completely fair.   Some teams have benefited by gaining points against cupcake teams while others have yet to play those teams.  Not sure they would divide teams up by division.  The Pacific has the 3 California teams already out of the playoffs.  In the Central all teams save maybe Chicago are still battling for a playoff spot.

 

It sounds like a 24 team playoffs has gained some traction lately where they would just skip the rest of the regular season.  Some of the bottom teams have expressed a lack of motivation to return to complete the season.  It would also limit the costs and testing to have 24 teams vs 31.

 

An October start date to next season is unlikely - they are talking of December and January was even mentioned more recently.   Some owners also don't want to play without fans in the stands.  

 

[mikeyman109]

On 5/13/2020 at 12:19 AM, Where's Wellwood said:

What makes you think things will be normal in October? There is very likely to be a second wave of covid come flu season. I'd rather find a way to finish the season that has had 68-70 actual games completed than count on next season running as normal when it's just as likely to be impacted as well. 

 

Plus, we have Markstrom, Tanev, and Toffoli for the rest of this season, we won't have all of them next season. I want the season completed with them since next year's team is likely worse with a stagnant salary cap

 

What other summer things will be allowed to happen? I doubt beaches are fully opened. The Stanley Cup finals play into June every year anyway. You'd be that much more disinterested if that becomes July/August?

I didnt mean that things would be normal but that the season would start at its normal time. I dont doubt there will be a second wave of this crap either. i agree with you. What i want is the Players, workers and fans to be safe regardless of what the owners want. People over Money , I have been saying this all along regardless of what the discussion is.

Do I want to see playoffs. You bet. I am not sure next years team will be worse. Who knows what happens in the off season? Hoglander is signed. Maybe they  make a deal with Tryamkin. Maybe one to get Podkolzin over early. Maybe a big trade to clear cap and a signing, one never knows.  Who is to say that next years team isnt better?

 

As for other summer things, the campgrounds will be open in another few weeks.The parks the beaches, they even are going to let you have a few beer at the beach. There will be lots of things to see and do. I love hockey but its not an all or nothing thing for me.

[mikeyman109]

10 hours ago, mll said:

 

Teams wouldn't be playing their remaining regular season schedule.  They would be playing against the teams in the hub they have been allocated to. The league apparently made it known that even if their home city was selected as hub the home team might not necessarily be stationed there.

 

There is no way to make it completely fair.   Some teams have benefited by gaining points against cupcake teams while others have yet to play those teams.  Not sure they would divide teams up by division.  The Pacific has the 3 California teams already out of the playoffs.  In the Central all teams save maybe Chicago are still battling for a playoff spot.

 

It sounds like a 24 team playoffs has gained some traction lately where they would just skip the rest of the regular season.  Some of the bottom teams have expressed a lack of motivation to return to complete the season.  It would also limit the costs and testing to have 24 teams vs 31.

 

An October start date to next season is unlikely - they are talking of December and January was even mentioned more recently.   Some owners also don't want to play without fans in the stands.  

 

I want to see games but id rather they finish a full season to decide playoffs fairly, decide draft position properly, and allow players to be safe in what they do.

Cant wait to see the cup handed out to whomever wins in a dead quiet stadium. cant even have a parade if you win. Just so many reasons not to do it.

[lmm]

On 5/13/2020 at 6:39 PM, NHL'er said:

Sure but it's also in their interest to play if it helps revenues and the salary cap in anyway. 

I said a couple of months ago thath the NHL could come out of this smelling like arose or like greedy farts.

I sense the longer this goes, the less the fans care. Some do.

I listened to a guy on radio today that said motorcycle sales have tanked ( read that as disgressionary purchases) and car sales have dropped 80% and restaurants are way down because they are closed, that means about 1/2 of the advertizers are in the tank, Beer, Subway and pizza are doing fine. 

Now I am not saying the NHL/NHLPA are in agreement with you, but if they are saying, "We don't want to lose our share of the pie" while fans and sponcers are all taking a hit, they still have the possibility to look really bad.

Add to that 3 games a day on summer ice in empty arenas  and the product may not be up to snuff for advertizers to want to continue paying top dollar.

If the players are donating their money to worthy causes they can come out looking like stars, if they are playing because they are worried about escrow, they may have an image problem.