PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 15: An overall view of the arena is shown prior to the start of this afternoon's game featuring the Philadelphia Flyers against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Wells Fargo Center on April 15, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)
Photo Credit: Getty Images
The majority of hockey enthusiasts throughout the World are hoping for the season to reconvene at some point. Talks throughout the league continue to ensue weekly, with the NHLPA and NHL working together, hand-in-hand to see that this happens in a safe manner. If the NHL follows the MLB blueprint for the season to begin, then hockey could return sooner rather than later. Both leagues have vowed to work hand-in-hand with the CDC:
To clarify all players who are willing to participate would be tested for COVID-19, and be quarantined a few weeks before the season were to begin, with a small training camp of some sort to ensue. Of course, these players would not be able to leave this neutral site, they would be quarantined together with no outside contact (To include no spectators). My comrade Yariv Wolok has been saying this for the past few weeks, and we discussed it on our latest episode on our Podcast “Gettin Gritty Wit It”:
One topic of discussion from the Board of Governors in the NHL has been neutral sites. There has been some talk for one neutral site possibly being in Manchester, NH, following the same format as the MLB. This is one way that hockey could reconvene in May/June/July.
This appears to be the most logical way for the season to ensue, it would also give people around the World hope, and a sense of normalcy. At the end of the day dollars and cents matter in sports, but so does the health of players/coaches/trainers/broadcasters/media, as well. 15 minute Covid-19 tests are being made available now, so a possibility of sports reconvening without spectators is becoming more of a possibility.
