NHL 2019-20 season Fantasy & Chat thread

[yisman]

Jarome Iginla headlines the Hockey Hall of Fame's six-person class of 2020 after being elected Wednesday in his first year of eligibility.

Iginla is joined in the 2020 class by winger Marian Hossa, defensemen Kevin Lowe and Doug Wilson, Canadian women's goaltender Kim St. Pierre and longtime general manager Ken Holland.

[mr. leisure]

Jarome Iginla headlines the Hockey Hall of Fame's six-person class of 2020 after being elected Wednesday in his first year of eligibility.

Iginla is joined in the 2020 class by winger Marian Hossa, defensemen Kevin Lowe and Doug Wilson

All well deserved .

[yisman]

Aleksander Barkov started his hockey life as a 4-year-old for the Tappara club in his hometown of Tampere, Finland.
Two decades later, Barkov is investing in his roots.
The Florida Panthers' captain has become the third-largest investor in the Tappara club, a deal that was announced Thursday. The exact amount he paid for his ownership share was not disclosed.

[mr. leisure]

Vancouver out or running to be hub city for NHL season restart



The Vancouver Canucks announced that their city will not be a 12-team "hub" if the NHL restarts its season this summer, despite speculation it had been one of the front-runners.
"From the beginning, our goal was to help the NHL get hockey back on the ice if we could. Although Vancouver won't be a Hub City, we are still excited to see hockey start up again," said Canucks Sports & Entertainment COO Trent Carroll.
The NHL season has been paused since March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The league and its players have approved a "return to play" format that features a 24-team Stanley Cup playoff tournament, with two "hub cities" hosting 12 teams from each conference.
The players have yet to officially approve an actual return to the ice this summer and have said that the identity of the "hub cities" will factor into their vote.
Chief among the criteria for the NHL in seeking out these cities were COVID-19 infection rate, the ability to create a "bubble" of safety for players and personnel, hotel capacity, available practice facilities and potential recreational activities for players during their down time.
Vancouver appeared to check many of those boxes, but several reports this week indicated that the city's bid had hit a bump, as the province and the NHL had differing views on player safety.
"Vancouver, and anybody who's paying any attention at all knows, that it is the best possible place for them to come because we enforce public health rules in British Columbia thoroughly and completely," British Columbia health minister Adrian Dix said Thursday. "I love the NHL. I love the idea of hockey coming here, but I'm also the minister of health, and the players, and the fans, and those working in the arenas, and everyone in British Columbia expects the rules to apply to everybody. And that's our advantage in this, it's not a disadvantage in this."
TSN reported that Bonnie Henry, health officer for British Columbia, suggested there was an impasse on how to handle a positive test for a player during the tournament. Henry felt there would likely have to be a pause in a series for a positive test. The NHL has indicated that it would remove a player from the series, but that a positive test would not necessitate a shutdown.
"Everything depends on the facts and the entire set of circumstances," deputy commissioner Bill Daly told TSN in April, "but no, we do not believe that one positive test, even multiple positive tests wouldn't necessarily shut the whole thing."
A source told ESPN last week that there was a "good chance" the NHL would have one or both hub cities in Canada. The league intensified its talks with Edmonton and Toronto on Thursday. Las Vegas has remained a speculative front-runner for one of the hub cities, despite rising COVID-19 numbers in Nevada.
Chicago and Los Angeles are also still in the running as hub cities. Columbus, Dallas, Pittsburgh and Minnesota all dropped out of the running prior to Vancouver's removal from the race.

[yisman]

The league and players are still working to finalize a return-to-play agreement that would entail a 24-team playoff to award the Stanley Cup. It's understood that players, coaches and staff would be quarantined from the general public for the duration of the playoffs and tested regularly.
Until arriving in one of those cities as early as July 23 or 24, players and their families are still out in the real world and face the risk of exposure.
''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,'' Atrium Health medical director of infection prevention Katie Passaretti said. ''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.''

[mr. leisure]

The league and players are still working to finalize a return-to-play agreement that would entail a 24-team playoff to award the Stanley Cup. It's understood that players, coaches and staff would be quarantined from the general public for the duration of the playoffs and tested regularly.
Until arriving in one of those cities as early as July 23 or 24, players and their families are still out in the real world and face the risk of exposure.
''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,'' Atrium Health medical director of infection prevention Katie Passaretti said. ''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.''

50/50 if it happens . I sure hope they can play somehow .

[yisman]

Chaos reigned at the NHL draft lottery, with the No. 1 pick still up for grabs in a second lottery drawing among the eight teams that lose in the qualifying round of the playoffs - if play resumes.
''We all knew this could happen,'' Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said. ''It definitely has been a different 2020 compared to every other year that I've been on the face of this earth.''
As part of the NHL's 24-team playoff format if it resumes, 16 teams will play each other in best-of-five series to move on - and the losers of those matchups now have a major consolation prize looming: equal 12.5% odds of landing Lafreniere.

[aggieshawn]

Draft Lottery. True drama for the NHL

[mr. leisure]

Thats all we got right now draft drama .

[yisman]

still no hard news about the location

guess they won't announce until July

[mr. leisure]

No. 1 pick in NHL Draft Lottery to be decided by second drawing

Will belong to team eliminated from Stanley Cup Qualifiers


2020 NHL DRAFT ORDER

1. Placeholder team
2. Los Angeles Kings
3. Ottawa Senators (from San Jose Sharks)
4. Detroit Red Wings
5. Ottawa Senators
6. Anaheim Ducks
7. New Jersey Devils
8. Buffalo Sabres

[yisman]

Members of the Carolina Hurricanes have returned to their home ice at PNC Arena as the team began voluntary training sessions amid the second phase of the NHL's return plan.

[mr. leisure]

Report: NHL restart to happen in Toronto and Edmonton

Rather than tempt fate by opening a sports league in the United States right now, the NHL is avoiding that problem altogether.
According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, the two hub cities for the NHL playoffs are will be Edmonton and Toronto.
Those locations are part of a larger CBA negotiation between the NHL and its players union, and a vote of players is expected later this week.
Early reports suggested that the NHL wanted one American city and one Canadian city to host the restart, with Las Vegas the presumptive favorite.
But COVID-19 rates in Nevada have spiked, making it less desirable as a destination than on the other side of the closed border. The U.S.- Canadian border has been restricted since March.
The NBA’s planned reopening in Orlando is scheduled for the end of this month, but Commissioner Adam Silver said he couldn’t guarantee the league would be able to finish its season. MLS is also attempting to return in its own Orlando bubble, and six players from one team (FC Dallas) tested positive for COVID-19 today.

[yisman]

The start of Phil Kessel's desert tenure did not go according to plan, for him or the Arizona Coyotes.
Expected to give the Coyotes a scoring jolt, Kessel instead labored, in large part due to a string of injuries.
The NHL's pandemic-caused pause has give the 32-year-old right wing a chance to heal, putting him in position to have a much bigger impact when the Coyotes return to the ice.
“I feel good right now,” Kessel said during a video call this week. “I feel better than I did all year, so I’m excited. My body feels good, I feel rested. I’m going to be ready to go.”

[hotcross]

Toronto makes sense as the biggest market. I've never been to the arena but have heard it described as not the best atmosphere...too many corporate types attending Leafs home games without much passion.

As for Edmonton, I guess it's the best/newest venue, but wouldn't Vancouver present the biggest market opportunity? In close proximity to Seattle with the upcoming 32nd team. Maybe all the chaos in Seattle forced the league to avoid that area. Canucks are still in this playoff dance right?

[ApricotSinner32]

No. 1 pick in NHL Draft Lottery to be decided by second drawing

Will belong to team eliminated from Stanley Cup Qualifiers


2020 NHL DRAFT ORDER

1. Placeholder team
2. Los Angeles Kings
3. Ottawa Senators (from San Jose Sharks)
4. Detroit Red Wings
5. Ottawa Senators
6. Anaheim Ducks
7. New Jersey Devils
8. Buffalo Sabres

[yisman]

Philadelphia Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom has completed radiation treatments for a rare form of bone cancer.
The Flyers tweeted video Thursday showing Lindblom ringing the bell at Abramson Cancer Center at Pennsylvania Hospital, which signifies that he has completed his radiation treatments. The 23-year-old was diagnosed in December with Ewing's sarcoma, a cancerous tumor that grows in the bones or in the tissue around bones.

[BigSpoon]

Toronto makes sense as the biggest market. I've never been to the arena but have heard it described as not the best atmosphere...too many corporate types attending Leafs home games without much passion.

As for Edmonton, I guess it's the best/newest venue, but wouldn't Vancouver present the biggest market opportunity? In close proximity to Seattle with the upcoming 32nd team. Maybe all the chaos in Seattle forced the league to avoid that area. Canucks are still in this playoff dance right?

Does it really matter since its going to be played without fans in attendance?

[mr. leisure]

No fans is going to be weird for a hockey game .

[ApricotSinner32]

Philadelphia Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom has completed radiation treatments for a rare form of bone cancer.
The Flyers tweeted video Thursday showing Lindblom ringing the bell at Abramson Cancer Center at Pennsylvania Hospital, which signifies that he has completed his radiation treatments. The 23-year-old was diagnosed in December with Ewing's sarcoma, a cancerous tumor that grows in the bones or in the tissue around bones.

[Stallion]

Habs #1 overall pick I hope.

[yisman]

Carolina Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell said Wednesday that executive Rick Dudley won’t return and the team is still in talks with longtime TV play-by-play announcer John Forslund on a new deal.

[Stallion]

Only the NHL can hold a draft lottery and not pick a winner.

[mr. leisure]

Only the NHL can hold a draft lottery and not pick a winner.

yep , kinda strange how they did this .

[yisman]

I was blindsided by this weird lottery style

I wonder when this was decided

[BarkingToad]

"Multiple" Blues players tested positive

[batt33]

Only the NHL can hold a draft lottery and not pick a winner.

yep that's to funny...

[mr. leisure]

The Alexis Lafreniere stakes .

[Stallion]

I already have 2 futures bets for whenever the playoffs resume: NYR +125, Wild +110

[yisman]

The NHL and NHL Players' Association agreed Sunday on protocols to resume the season, a major step toward the return of hockey this summer.
Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press there was an agreement on protocols for training camps and games and the sides are still negotiating an extension of the collective bargaining agreement, which is crucial to the process.

[yisman]

It's pretty much official at this point as countless reports have the NHL settled on Edmonton and Toronto as the two hub cities when teams return to play at the end of the month.
TSN Insider Bob McKenzie revealed on Thursday afternoon that Edmonton will also end up being the site for the conference finals as well as the Stanley Cup Final given how well the city has contained the COVID-19 virus over the last three months.
Edmonton Oilers radio analyst Bob Stauffer confirmed that it indeed is looking good for Edmonton and outlined some of the finer points to the Edmonton plan that attracted the NHL once they decided to avoid Las Vegas despite its glamorous appeal.
"Edmonton is in a unique situation. It's low-population density and the majority of the international travel went through Calgary, so if you compare [Alberta] to the U.S. there's only four U.S. states that have fewer cases per million [people] than Alberta. And Edmonton only has 13 percent of the cases for the entire [Alberta] province despite the fact that Edmonton has 37 or 38 percent of the population. We only had 15 deaths total [from COVID-19] in the last 15 weeks and just three deaths over the last two months. The caseload has been light.
"That's a major reason why Edmonton got this [hub city designation]. Make no mistake, the Edmonton Oilers Entertainment Group was really aggressive to get the bid. The province really wanted it. Edmonton has a brand new JW Marriott hotel that's adjacent to Rogers Place and, if we're able to push the ball over the goal line here, all 12 teams' players will stay there. There are a couple of supporting hotels that will house the executives and the rest of that 50-man group as well the television crews that will be in to work it. I would call this more of an Olympic-style hub city bid. That was the key.

[batt33]

It's pretty much official at this point as countless reports have the NHL settled on Edmonton and Toronto as the two hub cities when teams return to play at the end of the month.
TSN Insider Bob McKenzie revealed on Thursday afternoon that Edmonton will also end up being the site for the conference finals as well as the Stanley Cup Final given how well the city has contained the COVID-19 virus over the last three months.
Edmonton Oilers radio analyst Bob Stauffer confirmed that it indeed is looking good for Edmonton and outlined some of the finer points to the Edmonton plan that attracted the NHL once they decided to avoid Las Vegas despite its glamorous appeal.
"Edmonton is in a unique situation. It's low-population density and the majority of the international travel went through Calgary, so if you compare [Alberta] to the U.S. there's only four U.S. states that have fewer cases per million [people] than Alberta. And Edmonton only has 13 percent of the cases for the entire [Alberta] province despite the fact that Edmonton has 37 or 38 percent of the population. We only had 15 deaths total [from COVID-19] in the last 15 weeks and just three deaths over the last two months. The caseload has been light.
"That's a major reason why Edmonton got this [hub city designation]. Make no mistake, the Edmonton Oilers Entertainment Group was really aggressive to get the bid. The province really wanted it. Edmonton has a brand new JW Marriott hotel that's adjacent to Rogers Place and, if we're able to push the ball over the goal line here, all 12 teams' players will stay there. There are a couple of supporting hotels that will house the executives and the rest of that 50-man group as well the television crews that will be in to work it. I would call this more of an Olympic-style hub city bid. That was the key.

Keep moving forward, Edmonton makes total sense.

[mr. leisure]

It's pretty much official at this point as countless reports have the NHL settled on Edmonton and Toronto as the two hub cities when teams return to play at the end of the month.
TSN Insider Bob McKenzie revealed on Thursday afternoon that Edmonton will also end up being the site for the conference finals as well as the Stanley Cup Final given how well the city has contained the COVID-19 virus over the last three months.
Edmonton Oilers radio analyst Bob Stauffer confirmed that it indeed is looking good for Edmonton and outlined some of the finer points to the Edmonton plan that attracted the NHL once they decided to avoid Las Vegas despite its glamorous appeal.
"Edmonton is in a unique situation. It's low-population density and the majority of the international travel went through Calgary, so if you compare [Alberta] to the U.S. there's only four U.S. states that have fewer cases per million [people] than Alberta. And Edmonton only has 13 percent of the cases for the entire [Alberta] province despite the fact that Edmonton has 37 or 38 percent of the population. We only had 15 deaths total [from COVID-19] in the last 15 weeks and just three deaths over the last two months. The caseload has been light.
"That's a major reason why Edmonton got this [hub city designation]. Make no mistake, the Edmonton Oilers Entertainment Group was really aggressive to get the bid. The province really wanted it. Edmonton has a brand new JW Marriott hotel that's adjacent to Rogers Place and, if we're able to push the ball over the goal line here, all 12 teams' players will stay there. There are a couple of supporting hotels that will house the executives and the rest of that 50-man group as well the television crews that will be in to work it. I would call this more of an Olympic-style hub city bid. That was the key.

Sounds pretty good .

[mr. leisure]

Key questions, answers on protocols in Phases 3, 4 of Return to Play Plan

Guidelines set for COVID-19 testing with training camps to begin July 13


The NHL and NHL Players' Association on Monday announced an agreement in principle on protocols for Phases 3 and 4 of the NHL Return to Play Plan. The protocols will take effect only if the NHL Board of Governors and NHLPA membership vote to approve a memorandum of understanding to extend the collective bargaining agreement between the League and union through Sept. 15, 2026.

Phase 3 is scheduled to begin at team facilities July 13. Teams will then travel to two centralized hub cities on July 26 for Phase 4, which is resumption of play, with the Stanley Cup Qualifiers starting Aug. 1.
The NHL paused the season March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus and announced its Return to Play Plan on May 26 with 24 teams competing for the Stanley Cup.
Play will resume with the qualifiers, which will include 16 teams playing eight best-of-5 series and a round-robin among the top four teams in points percentage in each conference to determine seeding for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Here are key questions and answers about the protocols for Phases 3 and 4:

PHASE 3: TRAINING CAMP

How many players can attend training camp?
Rosters will be limited to 30 skaters, but each team can have an unlimited number of goalies.
Who is eligible to attend?
Only players eligible for the 2020 playoffs can participate.
Are there any limitations to the on-ice and off-ice activities?
Unlike the Phase 2 voluntary small-group workouts, there is no limit to the number of players participating in workouts, and coaches, general managers and hockey operations personnel are permitted to have direct interaction with the players.
What are the guidelines for COVID-19 testing, and who is required to be tested?
Players, team personnel and other personnel who will be in the vicinity of players (ice and building maintenance, security, etc.) will be tested 48 hours prior to returning to team facilities and every other day after that.
What other precautions do the players and personnel with player access have to follow?
They will conduct symptom and temperature self-checks daily at home not more than two hours prior to entering team facilities. In addition, teams will administer separate temperature and symptom checks at team facilities prior to permitting the players or personnel to enter.
What happens if a player develops COVID-19 symptoms and tests positive?
Anyone who develops symptoms or comes in contact with someone who has symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19 shall immediately notify team medical staff and self-isolate. The individual will immediately be evaluated by the team physician, who will consult with the team's infectious disease expert and determine the next steps.
If that individual tests positive, they can return to team facilities following the resolution of any fever and improvement of their respiratory symptoms after they test negative twice at least 24 hours apart. The individual can also return to team facilities after a minimum of 10 days in self-isolation following the onset of symptoms if they have had no fever or respiratory symptoms for more than 72 hours.
What if a player is asymptomatic and tests positive?
If an individual is asymptomatic and tests positive, they will undergo a confirmatory test to verify the initial result. Asymptomatic individuals whose initial tests are confirmed positive by the second test will be required to self-isolate until cleared medically.
That requires two negative tests at least 24 hours apart or the passage of 10 days since the initial positive test, provided the person has remained asymptomatic during the entire period of their self-isolation.
If the second test is negative, the asymptomatic person will remain in isolation and be tested again after 24 hours. If that test remains negative, the person will be permitted to leave isolation and return to full participation in team activities if cleared by the team physician.

PHASE 4: RESUMPTION OF GAMES

Where will the games take place?
Games will be played and teams will be housed at Phase 4 Secure Zones in two hub cities to be announced. The secure zones will include hotels, restaurants, practice facilities and the arena, where exhibition, qualifier and postseason games will be played.
How many players will be permitted into the secure zones?
Rosters will be limited to 31 players, including goalies.
What is the limit on the number of people each team can bring into the secure zones?
Each team will be permitted a maximum of 52 people inside the secure zone, including ownership, players, coaches, executives and staff.
Where will the players stay?
Players will stay in single-occupancy hotel rooms with each team assigned a designated floor. Players are not permitted to enter each other's rooms. They will have access to hotel bars, restaurants, pools and fitness centers provided they follow social distancing guidelines.
Are masks required inside the secure zone?
Anyone inside the secure zone must wear a cloth or surgical-type mask when outside their room. Masks can be removed while exercising, playing, eating or drinking. Coaches are not required to wear masks on the bench. On-ice officials are not required to wear masks during games.
How long will the teams remain in the hub cities?
The teams who advance from the qualifiers will remain in the hub cities to play the first two rounds of the playoffs. The four teams that advance past the second round will convene at one of the two hub cities for the conference finals and Stanley Cup Final.
Can the players' families visit them?
Family members can join players in the secure zones for the conference finals and Cup Final.
What are the guidelines for COVID-19 testing within the secure zone?
Each person will be tested three times, 48 hours apart, in the seven days prior to their team's charter flight to the hub city. Once inside the secure zone, individuals will undergo daily COVID-19 tests, symptom checks and temperature screenings. The protocols for a positive test result are similar to Phase 3.
Will the identity of players who test positive be revealed?
No. If a player tests positive or develops symptoms during Phases 3 and 4, teams are not permitted to share that information with the media or public without approval from the NHL, in consultation with the NHLPA.
Can a player leave the secure zone and return?
A player can leave if he receives permission for medical reasons or there are extenuating circumstances such as the birth of a child, illness or death in their family, or a family event, such as a wedding. When the player returns, he will be required to quarantine in his hotel room until he has received at least four consecutive negative test results over a four-day period.
What if a player leaves the secure zone without permission or a team otherwise violates the protocol rules?
Players who leave without permission may be subject to removal from Phase 4 or a strict quarantine of 10-14 days with enhanced testing and monitoring upon return. Teams that break the protocol rules will face significant penalties, including fines and/or loss of picks in the NHL Draft.
Can a player opt out of the Return to Play Plan?
Any player may choose not to participate in Phases 3 and 4 without discipline or penalty. The player must notify his team in writing within 72 hours of the completion of the ratification process.

[yisman]

this is going to be nuts

NBA and NHL playoffs going on with MLB season beginning and then NFL beginning with all those still ongoing