NHL 2019-20 season Fantasy & Chat thread

[yisman]

https://www.nbcsports.com/northwest/portland-trail-blazers/report-national-basketball-players-association-reps-text-players-gauge

National Basketball Players Association regional representatives started texting NBA players today with a 'yes or no' question it says will be kept confidential: Do you want to try and play again this season? The union's trying to gauge broader sentiment of its 400-plus players.



Shams Charania



@ShamsCharania



·
5h









The National Basketball Players Association has released a statement to @TheAthleticNBA
@Stadium
: “The NBPA is not engaging in and has not authorized any formal poll of its players.”

[mr. leisure]

I dont think the majority of NBA players want to play this year .

[yisman]

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Arizona Coyotes president and CEO Ahron Cohen is no longer with the organization, a person familiar with the move told The Associated Press.
The person spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because no formal announcement has been made. No other details were provided.

[mr. leisure]

I dont think the majority of NBA players want to play this year .

And probably NHL too .

[yisman]

And probably NHL too .

Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner, in a candid moment caught on video during group play of a video game online, says he’s more worried about the health of his fellow players than he is about playing through the COVID-19 pandemic, though he acknowledges there’s a great deal of money to be lost.
“Just imagine it,” Marner tells the unidentified people he’s playing with online. “I’m all down for starting everything up, let’s rock. But what if someone gets sick and dies? What happens?
“It’s awful to think about, but still.”

[ApricotSinner32]

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Arizona Coyotes president and CEO Ahron Cohen is no longer with the organization, a person familiar with the move told The Associated Press.
The person spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because no formal announcement has been made. No other details were provided.

[mr. leisure]

Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner, in a candid moment caught on video during group play of a video game online, says he’s more worried about the health of his fellow players than he is about playing through the COVID-19 pandemic, though he acknowledges there’s a great deal of money to be lost.
“Just imagine it,” Marner tells the unidentified people he’s playing with online. “I’m all down for starting everything up, let’s rock. But what if someone gets sick and dies? What happens?
“It’s awful to think about, but still.”

Too risky

[yisman]

news from MLB:

As MLB wrestles with reopening, one of its best pitchers isn’t having it — not unless he gets paid in full.
Blake Snell, the Tampa Bay Rays starter and 2018 Cy Young winner, said Wednesday night that playing for anything less than his full $7 million salary is “just not worth it,” citing safety concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic and already-in-place agreements to prorate MLB salaries if the game returns.

[mr. leisure]

news from MLB:

As MLB wrestles with reopening, one of its best pitchers isn’t having it — not unless he gets paid in full.
Blake Snell, the Tampa Bay Rays starter and 2018 Cy Young winner, said Wednesday night that playing for anything less than his full $7 million salary is “just not worth it,” citing safety concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic and already-in-place agreements to prorate MLB salaries if the game returns.

Going to be like this in all sports .

[yisman]

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Pittsburgh Penguins forward Dominik Simon is out six to seven months after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
Simon initially hurt the shoulder in a loss to the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 29 and underwent surgery on April 29. The team announced the procedure on Thursday. The surgery would preclude Simon from returning if the 2019-2020 NHL season resumes. The league is currently on ''pause'' due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

[mr. leisure]

Ryan Miller Contemplating Retirement As Coronavirus Outbreak Continues by Abigail Adams on Sun, May 17, 2020

It’s no secret Ryan Miller is in the latter portion of his NHL career. But the COVID-19 pandemic could shorten it even more. The Anaheim Ducks netminder has put together quite the career. From his MVP performance in the United States’ gold medal-winning performance in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver to his countless NHL records, there’s not much Miller hasn’t accomplished in his lengthy career. But time is running thin, and the coronavirus outbreak certainly isn’t helping. In fact, the virus is causing the 39-year-old to contemplate retirement. “I mean the desire is there, but there’s going to be a lot of factors. First of all, we’re all going to have to address this new normal. What that means for sports and life — and wrapped up in that is family and how family is going to need to be taken care of during this time,” Miller told Sportsnet’s Gene Principe on Sunday, as transcribed by TheScore. “There’s a lot of talk here in California that schools are not going to be fully in session possibly into next year, that changes the dynamic around the house and what needs to happen and what’s important.” But Miller isn’t rushing a decision. At least, not yet. “Hockey is very important to me but I’m trying to be realistic,” he said. “I’m at the tail end of a long career and I would love to play so I’m going to hum and haw for you guys. I really like to play, it’s a lot of fun, but I really want to see where things end up.”

[yisman]

Max Domi is still waiting to suit up in the playoffs for the first time. If the NHL expands its postseason format to complete the 2019-20 season, he might get that chance this year,
The Montreal Canadiens sat 12th in the Eastern Conference and were destined to be on the outside looking in for a third straight spring - and the fourth time in five years - when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the league to press pause March 12.

[mr. leisure]

Schneider has no plans to retire, hopes to bounce back with Devils

Goalie looks to future after overcoming surgeries, getting sent to AHL


Cory Schneider said he isn't thinking about retirement despite some tough recent seasons with the New Jersey Devils.

"It's all about trying to be in peak physical condition because I feel good, mentally," the Devils goalie said Monday. "I want to continue my career. I haven't entertained thoughts of retirement at all."
The 34-year-old, who has two seasons remaining after this one on a seven-year contract he signed with the Devils on July 9, 2014, has endured two surgeries and two American Hockey League assignments since 2016.
"I have two years left on my contract and my obligation and my goal is to do that and see where it goes from there," he said. "I'm not naive to the business side of things, but feel that when I'm playing well, I can do a lot for our team on the ice and off the ice. That's the role that I want to fill."
Schneider had surgery to repair a core muscle injury in May 2016, and surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left hip two years later. He was 0-6-1 with a 4.65 GAA and .852 save percentage in nine games and was assigned to Binghamton of the American Hockey League on two occasions before earning his first win in the NHL this season on Feb. 25 with 27 saves in a 4-1 victory at the Detroit Red Wings.
Schneider is 3-6-2 with a 3.53 GAA and .887 save percentage in 13 games (11 starts); he was 3-0-1 with a 1.50 GAA and .952 save percentage in his past four before the NHL paused its season on March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.
"It's amazing how quickly it goes," Schneider said. "I'm 34 but you don't always feel like you're 34 and that number has a stigma to it in the League. It used to be the norm but now anyone over 30 ... unless you're an elite player, you're taking up space for everyone else it seems. It makes it challenging but that's a good challenge to have. It's an opportunity to do new things, techniques and really try and evolve your game.
"You may not have the flexibility or some of the physical traits you had when you were younger, but I think as you get older, you gain more perspective and I think you're more sharper and you can think the game better than when you were younger."







Schneider was acquired in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks on June 30, 2013; he is 115-133-50 with a 2.50 GAA and .915 save percentage in 311 games in seven seasons with the Devils.
While Schneider worked on his game in Binghamton, Mackenzie Blackwood emerged as the starting goalie for New Jersey. The 23-year-old, who can become a restricted free agent after this season, is 22-14-8 with a 2.77 GAA, .915 save percentage and three shutouts in 47 games (43 starts).
"I'm a different goalie than Mackenzie; different than Andrei Vasilevskiy," Schneider said. "We have different traits that make us NHL goalies and for me it's about accentuating those and doing them to the best of my ability while also just trying to be as good as I can in every other area like taking care of my body and doing things I might not have considered before when I [was younger]."
Schneider was 7-7-0 with a 2.71 goals-against average and .903 save percentage in 14 AHL games this season. He was placed on waivers on Nov. 18 after going 0-4-1 to start the season with New Jersey and recalled on Feb. 20.
He's an advocate of the two-goalie rotation.
"It's difficult to have a guy play 60-to-70 games a year and then get 10-to-25 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, depending how far you go," Schneider said. "The scoring chances, pace and shot totals feel more daunting and difficult for goalies. I think you can still have a two-goalie system where there is somewhat of a hierarchy, where one guy will play two out of every three games. That's big for a goalie because you can plan ... get your body ready, mind ready.
"Goaltending is like pitching ... you can never have too much of it. The wear and tear guys go through, it's good to have a second guy you can trust."

[yisman]

It’s a new week, which means new ideas for the NHL to explore with in order to figure out a proper and safe way to resume the 2019-20 season.
On Monday, Commissioner Gary Bettman was part of the Leaders Week sports business conference and discussed the many issues the league and the Players’ Association are facing. As that work continues, nothing can be implemented until a green light is given by medical professionals and local governments.
“I don’t think anybody has a fixed timetable, particularly in North America right now,” Bettman said, via Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com. “We have been working very hard since we took the pause on March 12 to make sure that whatever the timing is, whatever the sequencing is, whatever physical ability we have in terms of locations to play, that we’re in a position to execute any or all of those options. There is still a great deal of uncertainty.”
The hub city idea continues to be discussed and it appears like the league will end up going with two locations. According Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, Las Vegas and Columbus have emerged as favorites as they represent the two conferences. Bettman said “probably eight of nine different places” that can handle “a dozen or so teams in one location” are being considered.

[hotcross]

I would think if the league goes ahead with the hub city concept, the games will have less serious competition as the players could have much more time to visit among each other and enjoy some forms of late night entertainment between games.

[ApricotSinner32]

It’s a new week, which means new ideas for the NHL to explore with in order to figure out a proper and safe way to resume the 2019-20 season.
On Monday, Commissioner Gary Bettman was part of the Leaders Week sports business conference and discussed the many issues the league and the Players’ Association are facing. As that work continues, nothing can be implemented until a green light is given by medical professionals and local governments.
“I don’t think anybody has a fixed timetable, particularly in North America right now,” Bettman said, via Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com. “We have been working very hard since we took the pause on March 12 to make sure that whatever the timing is, whatever the sequencing is, whatever physical ability we have in terms of locations to play, that we’re in a position to execute any or all of those options. There is still a great deal of uncertainty.”
The hub city idea continues to be discussed and it appears like the league will end up going with two locations. According Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, Las Vegas and Columbus have emerged as favorites as they represent the two conferences. Bettman said “probably eight of nine different places” that can handle “a dozen or so teams in one location” are being considered.

[mr. leisure]

I would think if the league goes ahead with the hub city concept, the games will have less serious competition as the players could have much more time to visit among each other and enjoy some forms of late night entertainment between games.

More scoring maybe , less defense ??

[yisman]

The NHL is still more than a week away from determining a return-to-play format, a person familiar with discussions told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
And what that plan resembles could be complicated further should the U.S. and Canada extend border restrictions to non-essential travel into July, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the discussions are private.
The person spoke after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced border restrictions will stay in effect through June 21. This marks the second time the restrictions have been extended since first being put into place March 18 because of the new coronavirus pandemic.

[ApricotSinner32]

Schneider has no plans to retire, hopes to bounce back with Devils

Goalie looks to future after overcoming surgeries, getting sent to AHL


Cory Schneider said he isn't thinking about retirement despite some tough recent seasons with the New Jersey Devils.

"It's all about trying to be in peak physical condition because I feel good, mentally," the Devils goalie said Monday. "I want to continue my career. I haven't entertained thoughts of retirement at all."
The 34-year-old, who has two seasons remaining after this one on a seven-year contract he signed with the Devils on July 9, 2014, has endured two surgeries and two American Hockey League assignments since 2016.
"I have two years left on my contract and my obligation and my goal is to do that and see where it goes from there," he said. "I'm not naive to the business side of things, but feel that when I'm playing well, I can do a lot for our team on the ice and off the ice. That's the role that I want to fill."
Schneider had surgery to repair a core muscle injury in May 2016, and surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left hip two years later. He was 0-6-1 with a 4.65 GAA and .852 save percentage in nine games and was assigned to Binghamton of the American Hockey League on two occasions before earning his first win in the NHL this season on Feb. 25 with 27 saves in a 4-1 victory at the Detroit Red Wings.
Schneider is 3-6-2 with a 3.53 GAA and .887 save percentage in 13 games (11 starts); he was 3-0-1 with a 1.50 GAA and .952 save percentage in his past four before the NHL paused its season on March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.
"It's amazing how quickly it goes," Schneider said. "I'm 34 but you don't always feel like you're 34 and that number has a stigma to it in the League. It used to be the norm but now anyone over 30 ... unless you're an elite player, you're taking up space for everyone else it seems. It makes it challenging but that's a good challenge to have. It's an opportunity to do new things, techniques and really try and evolve your game.
"You may not have the flexibility or some of the physical traits you had when you were younger, but I think as you get older, you gain more perspective and I think you're more sharper and you can think the game better than when you were younger."







Schneider was acquired in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks on June 30, 2013; he is 115-133-50 with a 2.50 GAA and .915 save percentage in 311 games in seven seasons with the Devils.
While Schneider worked on his game in Binghamton, Mackenzie Blackwood emerged as the starting goalie for New Jersey. The 23-year-old, who can become a restricted free agent after this season, is 22-14-8 with a 2.77 GAA, .915 save percentage and three shutouts in 47 games (43 starts).
"I'm a different goalie than Mackenzie; different than Andrei Vasilevskiy," Schneider said. "We have different traits that make us NHL goalies and for me it's about accentuating those and doing them to the best of my ability while also just trying to be as good as I can in every other area like taking care of my body and doing things I might not have considered before when I [was younger]."
Schneider was 7-7-0 with a 2.71 goals-against average and .903 save percentage in 14 AHL games this season. He was placed on waivers on Nov. 18 after going 0-4-1 to start the season with New Jersey and recalled on Feb. 20.
He's an advocate of the two-goalie rotation.
"It's difficult to have a guy play 60-to-70 games a year and then get 10-to-25 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, depending how far you go," Schneider said. "The scoring chances, pace and shot totals feel more daunting and difficult for goalies. I think you can still have a two-goalie system where there is somewhat of a hierarchy, where one guy will play two out of every three games. That's big for a goalie because you can plan ... get your body ready, mind ready.
"Goaltending is like pitching ... you can never have too much of it. The wear and tear guys go through, it's good to have a second guy you can trust."

Nice

[mr. leisure]

NHL looking at 8-9 sites as options to restart season, Commissioner says

League considering places that can safely accommodate 'dozen or so teams in one location'


The NHL is looking at "probably eight or nine different places" that can accommodate "a dozen or so teams in one location" as it explores options for resuming the season, Commissioner Gary Bettman said Monday.

The Commissioner participated in a digital keynote interview with Leaders Week, a sports business conference originally scheduled to be held in New York, to discuss the League's efforts since pausing the season due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.
"I don't think anybody has a fixed timetable, particularly in North America right now," Commissioner Bettman said. "We have been working very hard since we took the pause on March 12 to make sure that whatever the timing is, whatever the sequencing is, whatever physical ability we have in terms of locations to play, that we're in a position to execute any or all of those options. There is still a great deal of uncertainty."

The Commissioner said the NHL would need to resolve border and quarantine issues to reconvene the players, 17 percent of whom are outside North America, the rest of whom are spread around the continent.
If the NHL uses centralized locations, it probably would need the ability to play multiple games per day without fans. NHL arenas are best suited for that because of their back-of-the-house facilities, such as multiple locker rooms that can be sanitized as teams move in and out.
The League also would need the hotel space to house teams and the capacity to test personnel for COVID-19 without doing so at the expense of the medical community.
"I am told that there can be enough capacity, and certainly over the next couple of months, there will be more capacity," Commissioner Bettman said. "But that is a fundamental question, and we certainly can't be jumping the line in front of medical needs."
The Commissioner said the NHL and the NHL Players' Association have been extraordinarily collaborative. They have formed a Return to Play Committee of executives and players that has held regular digital meetings.
"Do we complete the regular season when we're given the opportunity?" Commissioner Bettman said. "Do we do an abbreviated regular season, because our competitive balance is so extraordinary, it's hard to tell how the season would have ended? Do we go right to the [Stanley Cup] Playoffs and in what form?
"And if we're not playing in front of fans, which at least in the short term seems [likely], do we do it in a centralized location or locations? And if so, what places might be suitable from a COVID-19 standpoint in terms of the communities that you're in and how big the outbreak is? And what is the availability of testing? And so that requires a collaboration with our medical advisers.
"And I believe that all of the major sports in North America are going through this same exercise, and while the medical and health issues are probably to some extent the same for all of us, the logistics of what we do and how we do it may be a little different depending on the sport."
The NHL has the flexibility to finish this season by playing in the summer and to delay the start of next season as late as December while playing a full schedule.
"We'd like to complete this season," Commissioner Bettman said. "We'd like to award the Stanley Cup, the most treasured trophy and the most historic trophy in all of sports. And our fans are telling us overwhelmingly that's what they'd like us to do, because people have an emotional investment in this season already."
Commissioner Bettman said he believes large gatherings will come back quickly once the medical community has determined the best treatment for COVID-19 and there is a prospect of a vaccine. The Commissioner mentioned the possibility of masks, sanitizers and different seating configurations initially.
"Everything we're hearing from our fans is that they're [eager] to get back, and we don't take that for granted, which is why we will do what the medical people tell us is necessary and appropriate for us to do to bring fans back," Commissioner Bettman said. "And again, everything we do is going to be governed by the doctors, the medical people and by governments at all levels, which will tell us what is and isn't appropriate for us to do.
"So a lot of our planning and a lot of the issues we're confronting ultimately are going to be resolved for us by other people, whether it's physicians or whether it's governmental leaders, and that's why we have to be doing a lot of contingency planning so we can react to whatever they're telling is us appropriate and permissible."
Commissioner Bettman said he was very optimistic and hopeful for the sports industry in the long term. Sports, he said, bring people together and help them heal.
"I think the major sports and their franchises will get through this and will come back as strong as ever," the Commissioner said. "It's just a question of time."

[yisman]

The NHL is still more than a week away from determining a return-to-play format, a person familiar with discussions told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
And what that plan resembles could be complicated further should the U.S. and Canada extend border restrictions to non-essential travel into July, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the discussions are private.
The person spoke after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced border restrictions will stay in effect through June 21. This marks the second time the restrictions have been extended since first being put into place March 18 because of the new coronavirus pandemic.
''I am hopeful that today's announcement will not have a material impact on our return to play discussions and timeline,'' NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly wrote in an email.

[BigSpoon]

Are they going to make all the players wear masks while they play?

[mr. leisure]

Hall 'very interested' in staying with Coyotes, Tocchet says

Forward can become unrestricted free agent after season

Rick Tocchet said he's confident the Arizona Coyotes will be in the mix to sign Taylor Hall after this season.

"I'm not saying he is going to sign here, but I definitely think we're a team he's very interested in staying with," the Coyotes coach told the ESPN On Ice podcast.
Hall, a forward who can become an unrestricted free agent, scored 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 35 games for the Coyotes this season. The 28-year-old was traded to Arizona by the New Jersey Devils on Dec. 16 and totalled 52 points (16 goals, 36 assists) before the NHL season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.
He won the Hart Trophy voted as NHL MVP following the 2017-18 season with the Devils and is playing the final season of a seven-year contract worth $6 million annually.
"You're talking about a guy who, before this, was going to make a ton of money," Tocchet said. "With this whole pandemic, like he told me, he doesn't want to go through another year trying to play on a one-year contract. He wants to get settled somewhere. So he's got a lot of different options that [he has to] weigh."
Hall said shortly after the season was paused that he is focused on getting back to playing and making the Stanley Cup Playoffs, not his next contract. The Coyotes (33-29-8) trail the Nashville Predators and Vancouver Canucks by four points for the second wild card in the Western Conference. There is no timetable for the season to resume.
"It is definitely a weird time to possibly be a free agent, but there's so much uncertainty throughout the League ... throughout the world, really," Hall told Sportsnet in March. "So I'm not as worried about free agency as I am about getting back to hockey and hoping that we can somehow get into the playoffs. I think everyone just wants some normalcy back in their lives."
Hall scored 44 points (21 goals, 23 assists) in the final 32 games of 2017-18 to help the Devils reach the postseason for the first time since 2011-12. The No. 1 pick in the 2011 NHL Draft by the Edmonton Oilers, he has 563 points (218 goals, 345 assists) in 627 games with the Oilers, Devils and Coyotes.
"He's an elite player," Arizona general manager John Chayka said last month. "He's a star player most nights, if not every night. He generates a lot for himself, his teammates. He's a guy that plays in the guts of the game. He's been a terrific addition for us, and like we talked about, we hope to have him long term as well."

[yisman]

Devils would get a better draft pick from Arizona if Hall stays

[yisman]

The NHL Players’ Association's executive committee authorized moving forward in talks with the league on returning to play from the coronavirus suspension, approving 24 teams making the playoffs with other aspects still to be negotiated
The NHLPA did not provide a breakdown of the vote of its 31 player representatives in making the announcement Friday night, a day after the proposal was presented to the union's executive board. In giving the format the green light, the NHLPA stressed several details still need to be negotiated before games can begin.

[mr. leisure]

The NHL Players’ Association's executive committee authorized moving forward in talks with the league on returning to play from the coronavirus suspension, approving 24 teams making the playoffs with other aspects still to be negotiated
The NHLPA did not provide a breakdown of the vote of its 31 player representatives in making the announcement Friday night, a day after the proposal was presented to the union's executive board. In giving the format the green light, the NHLPA stressed several details still need to be negotiated before games can begin.

Alright , making some progress .

[yisman]

Canada’s NHL teams have offered season-ticket holders rebate or refund options in acknowledgment that no more 2019-20 regular-season games will be played in front of fans in their respective buildings.
In a four-day span May 13-16, all seven teams contacted their season-ticket bases with options and, in some cases, deadlines to make a decision, according to The Canadian Press.
“It has become increasingly apparent, that any possibility will not include any further games being played this season in front of fans at Bell MTS Place,” the Winnipeg Jets said in an email.

[ApricotSinner32]

to be negotiated before games can begin.

[mr. leisure]

Canada’s NHL teams have offered season-ticket holders rebate or refund options in acknowledgment that no more 2019-20 regular-season games will be played in front of fans in their respective buildings.
In a four-day span May 13-16, all seven teams contacted their season-ticket bases with options and, in some cases, deadlines to make a decision, according to The Canadian Press.
“It has become increasingly apparent, that any possibility will not include any further games being played this season in front of fans at Bell MTS Place,” the Winnipeg Jets said in an email.

Every team needs to do this .

[yisman]

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says teams in his state can return to their facilities for training after a pause of more than two months.
''Starting today, all the New York professional sports leagues will be able to begin training camps,'' the Democratic governor said during a news conference Sunday.
The New York City area was one of the hardest-hit parts of the U.S. by the coronavirus pandemic, but COVID-19 deaths and new infections in the state have been trending downward.
Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NHL are discussing the resumption of their seasons with their players' unions.

[mr. leisure]

NHL moving to voluntary, small-group training as Phase 2 of return

The NHL is ready to move to Phase 2 of its plan to return to play, and it will soon allow players to train in small groups at team facilities, according to a memo circulated to teams over the weekend.
The NHL didn't put an exact date on when Phase 2 will go into effect, though it said it was targeting early June. In the memo, the league said it will continue to "monitor developments in each of the club's markets, and may adjust the overall timing if appropriate."
Phase 1 involved self-quarantine for players and hockey staff and began on March 12.
The new protocols would allow for a maximum of six players to train at the team facilities at once. On-ice sessions are for players only, with no coaches or other team personnel allowed on the ice. Players must wear face coverings at all times, except when they are exercising or on the ice.
The NHL stressed that participation in Phase 2 is "strictly voluntary" and teams should not require players to return to their playing city yet. On March 16, players were told they could travel anywhere; last week, commissioner Gary Bettman revealed that 17% of players were currently outside North America.
According to the memo, players who live in an NHL market who don't play for that team can have access to that facility.
Phase 2 is a crucial step for the NHL as it aims to complete the 2019-20 season and award a Stanley Cup this summer. On Friday, the NHLPA's executive board approved the format the NHL can use if it returns to play. Twenty-four teams would make the field -- including the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks, who were both sellers at the trade deadline. The top four teams would get byes.
There are still plenty of details to work out, including whether the teams will be reseeded after the first round.
The NHL is aiming to stage games in two or four "hub cities," which will be in existing NHL markets. The NHL has narrowed its list down to eight or nine options. Las Vegas is a heavy favorite, given the NHL's strong relationship with the city and its ability to potentially house as many as 12 teams in one hotel. League sources say the NHL would also like to choose a Canadian city as a host for a variety of reasons -- one of which is that it is cheaper to stage games in Canada.
Players and staff participating in Phase 2 will be tested for the coronavirus two days before they are scheduled to participate. They will be tested twice a week afterward, though players are told to self-administer temperature symptom checks daily.
The NHL has been conscious of not overstepping its boundaries when it comes to procuring coronavirus tests, and stressed that in Phase 2, testing of asymptomatic players "must be done in the context of excess testing capacity, so as to not deprive health care workers, vulnerable populations and symptomatic individuals from necessary diagnostic tests.''

[yisman]

TORONTO (AP) -- The NHL hopes to have players back in team facilities soon -- with plenty of precautions.
The league, which paused its season on March 12 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, released a memo Monday saying it is targeting early next month as the start date for Phase 2 of its return-to-play protocol, including the opening of practice rinks and allowing small, voluntary group workouts on and off the ice.

[yisman]

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is expected to announce the league's return to play format this afternoon.
Bettman is set to make a televised address at 4:30 p.m. EDT about what hockey will look like if the NHL can resume the season this summer. That means a 24-team straight-to-playoffs format with the league's other seven teams having their seasons ended.
The Players' Association voted last week to approve the 24-team format proposed by the Return to Play committee. It involves the top four teams in each conference playing a mini-tournament for seeding, while the other 16 face off in best-of-five series to set the field.

[mr. leisure]

NHL to restart with 24-team playoff in two hub cities

New York (AFP) - The National Hockey League announced Tuesday it will abandon the rest of the regular season and proceed directly to a 24-team playoff staged in two hub cities.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the revised schedule would "produce a worthy Stanley Cup champion" after a season that has been put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic.
However Bettman offered no fixed date on when play would resume, while the two cities due to host the playoffs were also yet to be decided. Formal training camps won't open until July 1 at the earliest, he added.
The NHL season has been on pause since March 12 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and all players currently remain under league-mandated quarantine.
Bettman said 10 cities are in the running for the two hub centers, including seven from the US: Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh. The three Canadian cities are Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton.
Bettman said the league had drawn up a long-list of candidate cities in order to retain scheduling flexibility.
"We didn't want to get locked in. We don't want to go to a place where there is a lot of COVID-19 or we don't want to go to a place where we can't get the testing we need," he said.
"There is going to be extensive testing. It must be available on wide-scale basis without obstructing local needs."
- Border snag -
Although three Canadian cities are in the running, Bettman later told reporters that unless Canada lifts mandatory 14-day quarantine rules, the NHL will not be heading north of the US border.
"We don't need to make a decision today. We'll probably need to make one in three to four weeks, and at that point we would be able to better evaluate how COVID‑19 is in a particular place," Bettman said.
He reiterated earlier reports that the playoff format would begin with best-of-five series, but the Stanley Cup final would be the traditional best-of-seven.
"We anticipate playing into the late summer and early fall," he said.
Under the proposed schedule, the top four seeds in each conference would play a round robin tournament for first-round seedings.
The top four seeds in the Eastern Conference hub city would be the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers.
The top four Western Conference teams would be the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars.
The other 16 teams in both conferences would play in a best-of-five first round.
The rest of the bracketed playoff format for the Eastern Conference would have Pittsburgh (5) vs. Montreal (12), Carolina (six) vs. New York Rangers (11), the New York Islanders (seven) vs. Florida (10) and Toronto (eight) vs. Columbus (nine).
The Western matchups are Edmonton (5) vs. Chicago (12), Nashville (six) vs. Arizona (11), Vancouver (seven) vs. Minnesota (10) and Calgary (eight) vs. Winnipeg (nine).
Games will be played behind closed doors without fans in the buildings.
While the players and the NHL have agreed on a format, the NHL Players' Association has not formally approved any actual return to finish the season.
Bettman said the league and clubs will combine to spend millions of dollars conducting up to 30,000 tests for the players, coaches, officials and staff.
"You just do the math," he said. "Our medical advisors tell us that by the time we are doing this over the summer, it will be a relatively insignificant number relative to the number of tests that will be available."

[batt33]

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is expected to announce the league's return to play format this afternoon.
Bettman is set to make a televised address at 4:30 p.m. EDT about what hockey will look like if the NHL can resume the season this summer. That means a 24-team straight-to-playoffs format with the league's other seven teams having their seasons ended.
The Players' Association voted last week to approve the 24-team format proposed by the Return to Play committee. It involves the top four teams in each conference playing a mini-tournament for seeding, while the other 16 face off in best-of-five series to set the field.

Frick can't wait for it!!!