Best Option for the NHL for this Season?

[WordsOfWisdom]

How do I make this a poll?   

 

1. Play the final month of the regular season and then have a best-of-3 playoffs with four rounds.
2. Skip the rest of the regular season and go directly to a best-of-7 playoffs with four rounds.
3. Play the rest of the regular season and play a best-of-7 playoffs with four rounds.
4. Skip the rest of the regular season and go directly to a best-of-5 playoffs with four rounds.
5. Cancel everything.
6. All of the above.   

 

 

Edited March 26, 2020 by pilldoc
poll added

[Alexandron]

1 hour ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

How do I make this a poll?   

 

1. Play the final month of the regular season and then have a best-of-3 playoffs with four rounds.
2. Skip the rest of the regular season and go directly to a best-of-7 playoffs with four rounds.
3. Play the rest of the regular season and play a best-of-7 playoffs with four rounds.
4. Skip the rest of the regular season and go directly to a best-of-5 playoffs with four rounds.
5. Cancel everything.
6. All of the above.   

 

 

Sadly to say is #5.Cancel everything til next season to settle first somehow down our global health situation caused by COVID-19.

 

Just opened our forum. Unfortunately, it seems,  the  topic regarding COVID-19 was removed. I wanted to share some of my personal recent experience about it and some advises on preventing/minimizing chances on transforming that disease into a serious complication- pneumonia .  Anyway, world famous virologists ( I listened recently few discussions on YouTube) predicting that this extremely contagious, not well researched yet virus will have the same transitional way as happened for many viruses before, which means a chance to change its acute stage (viral disease) into a latent form (hidden not invasive form) for people in our globe. Usually it happens from June til August. I really believe that this prediction is right. Very important that the globe will build some level of immunity after recovering from this disease before that time (before June). In general, different levels of humans immune system on many viral diseases are forming after successful recovery from these diseases.  

 

[WordsOfWisdom]

1 hour ago, Alexandron said:

Sadly to say is #5.Cancel everything til next season to settle first somehow down our global health situation caused by COVID-19.

 

Do you think the NHL would/could resume as late as June or July and play a reduced playoff?  

 

For me, I think May 1 is the drop dead date. The reason I say May 1 is because I firmly believe the NHL won't shorten the playoffs. They'll either do four rounds of best-of-7 hockey or nothing. In order to do that, they need a minimum of two months for the playoffs + they would need a training camp for the players to get back in game shape after the layoff.

 

So if you figure a 2-week training camp + 2 months of playoffs (with no finish to the regular season) that puts us into mid-July..... IF they got the whole thing started on May 1.  Given that the next season would begin in October (and training camps in September), along with the draft, etc... that would be the limit on what the NHL could do in my opinion. 

 

 

[pilldoc]

7 hours ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

How do I make this a poll?   

 

 

 

If you have privileges to create a poll, click on the "poll" tab ....

 

the rest is pretty self explanatory .....

 

[hf101]

9 hours ago, Alexandron said:

 

Just opened our forum. Unfortunately, it seems,  the  topic regarding COVID-19 was removed. 

 

fyi,

 

[WordsOfWisdom]

1 hour ago, hf101 said:

 

fyi,

 

 

Thanks HF!   

 

[mojo1917]

I have thought the best way for the NHL to go forward would be to get all teams to 72 games.

Right now most have played 69, this is probably less fair for the teams that have played 71 to date, however it gives all teams an equal number of games to qualify for the playoffs.

This was assuming an May start up date with:

A camp in the 3rd week of April. 

Get to 72 games the 4th week.

Start the playoffs first week of May. 

 

However, I am starting to think this is "magical thinking" . 

 

 

[Alexandron]

6 hours ago, hf101 said:

 

fyi,

 

Thanks a lot HF101! I am planning to place there my personal experience, which I recently passed and to bring some simple advises to make this disease a little bit easier or maybe even to save lives for our fans, for our players, for our relatives and to everyone who will be reading that message. It will take to me slightly awhile to finish my writing, which I started yesterday. Sorry, my English is not the best. It takes a time for me to write something important, in my opinion. 

[Icechipper]

This scenario: NHL ready but not all world players are released by their respective nations. North Americans fill the gap until they can return. You can see how much time I have on my hands. NHLPA would never agree....but a hockey mind might wander and ponder....

[Icechipper]

Local spring senior tournament may be short without Canadian teams....

[WordsOfWisdom]

6 hours ago, mojo1917 said:

I have thought the best way for the NHL to go forward would be to get all teams to 72 games.

 

The only issue there is what happens if a team with 70 GP faces a team with 72 GP? In trying to bump the lower team up you'll bump the higher team up too. Not sure how they could avoid doing that unless they were selective about the opponents each team would play to get up to 72 GP.  ie: Cherry-pick games among teams with fewer than 72. 

 

For me personally, I'd rather see them finish the last 10 games of the regular season and play an abbreviated playoffs after. To me, finishing the season is more important than having a full playoffs because it's about the integrity of the standings and the stats. Having best-of-5 or best-of-3 would still be exciting and rewarding.

 

6 hours ago, mojo1917 said:

However, I am starting to think this is "magical thinking" . 

 

It could very well be. If I were the NHL, I'd try to make it work anyway. Even if it meant playing in empty arenas. Fans could at least watch something on TV. 

 

My sneaking suspicion is this Coronavirus crap will go on just long enough to ruin the NHL season and once it's ruined, you can't ever get that back.  As other have mentioned, some players (Joe Thornton for example) have probably lost as many games due to lockouts and CV as some players play in the NHL total. It's getting to the point where the game is shut down more than it's in operation. 

[JR Ewing]

We may be fortunate to have a full 2021 season, let alone even talk about finishing this one.

 

[jammer2]

Best case is a short playoff scenario...best of 3 or 5...but that is looking like a pipe dream. Truth is...next year is at risk unless a cure is approved and distributed quickly. 

[ruxpin]

The season is over. There is no best or worst to do.  There's just reality:  it's over. Period. 

[WordsOfWisdom]

3 hours ago, JR Ewing said:

We may be fortunate to have a full 2021 season, let alone even talk about finishing this one.

 

 

I just had another idea!!!    

 

(Again, all of this assumes that Coronavirus clears up by summer and life returns to normal.)

 

What if the NHL begins with training camps EARLY (say August 1), and then plays the rest of this season beginning late August or September 1 followed by the full playoffs in September, October, and part of November? That way the Stanley Cup gets awarded and we have a winner for 2020... while still in 2020. 

 

Then, the NHL could take a short break (emphasis on short... a week) and come back with the beginning of the new season in late November or December 1 at the latest. The all-star game would be cancelled and the season would be an 82-game condensed schedule (no off-weeks for teams like there are now). The season would end by the end of April and go into the playoffs as usual next season. It may run a bit long, but everything would be intact. 

 

Thoughts?  

 

Under this NEW scenario, we would have:

• 82 games for this season
• A 2020 Cup winner
• 82 games for next season
• A 2021 Cup winner

 

Edited March 28, 2020 by WordsOfWisdom

[jammer2]

15 hours ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

 

I just had another idea!!!    

 

(Again, all of this assumes that Coronavirus clears up by summer and life returns to normal.)

 

What if the NHL begins with training camps EARLY (say August 1), and then plays the rest of this season beginning late August or September 1 followed by the full playoffs in September, October, and part of November? That way the Stanley Cup gets awarded and we have a winner for 2020... while still in 2020. 

 

Then, the NHL could take a short break (emphasis on short... a week) and come back with the beginning of the new season in late November or December 1 at the latest. The all-star game would be cancelled and the season would be an 82-game condensed schedule (no off-weeks for teams like there are now). The season would end by the end of April and go into the playoffs as usual next season. It may run a bit long, but everything would be intact. 

 

Thoughts?  

 

Under this NEW scenario, we would have:

• 82 games for this season
• A 2020 Cup winner
• 82 games for next season
• A 2021 Cup winner

 

I can see an iffy proposition of doing playoffs in the fall (give it about a 15% chance of happening) but the NHLPA will not go for regular season games, followed by playoffs, followed by another regular season and more playoffs...and rightfully so. The rest of this regular season is lost...period.

[ruxpin]

10 minutes ago, jammer2 said:

I can see an iffy proposition of doing playoffs in the fall (give it about a 15% chance of happening) but the NHLPA will not go for regular season games, followed by playoffs, followed by another regular season and more playoffs...and rightfully so. The rest of this regular season is lost...period.

 

I could see doing the playoffs late fall if next season's start is lost and they're able to do it just to keep interest until the following season.

 

Logistically, I don't like it, though.   People that were injured for this playoffs would be back, others healthy now would be injured by then, draft picks that are NHL ready--or even prospects currently playing--would be ready to go, but would they be allowed or not?   People who were FAs would be elsewhere--pretending they'd be going forward with that.  

 

I think this season is over full-stop, including playoffs.  It sucks and I'm sorry to crap on any kind of hope, but it's done.

 

And I wish the NHL would simply acknowledge the reality rather than this "day-to-day with an upper body injury" horse####.

[fan4ever]

I think at this point we'd be damn lucky to see any hockey again this year, and agree that the beginning of next year could be at risk as well.  At least here in the US, it seems there are cities that are getting worse instead of better short term.  

 

Scary times!

[ruxpin]

2 minutes ago, fan4ever said:

I think at this point we'd be damn lucky to see any hockey again this year, and agree that the beginning of next year could be at risk as well.  At least here in the US, it seems there are cities that are getting worse instead of better short term.  

 

Scary times!

 

Yeah, not to mention some cities will open as some are growing worse and the whole prism in between.

 

I mean, do you start the season back up when New York and Philly are coming back online while they have the start to the ugly in Denver and Phoenix?    Just as people are well enough to burn buses in Vancouver and buy lawn chairs for the parade in Toronto, people in Edmonton and Calgary getting sick...etc. 

 

I do think it's highly possible the 2020-21 season is at least delayed.   Obviously just guessing on that, but I think it's unfortunately likely.

 

You watch, though.  Knowing the insane ineptitude of the NHL front office, THIS will be the year they do the draft lottery in front of a live audience.

[flyercanuck]

1 hour ago, fan4ever said:

I think at this point we'd be damn lucky to see any hockey again this year, and agree that the beginning of next year could be at risk as well.  At least here in the US, it seems there are cities that are getting worse instead of better short term.  

 

Scary times!

 

I think Canada is just running about a week behind you guys with this thing. Of course our smaller population spread out over a larger area helps immensely, but I'm pretty sure the worst is yet to come.

 

 I honestly am just concerned about family and friends and I'll worry about the hockey season once this is in a major recession (the virus, not the economy...that's a given). But I'll continue to pop in here daily to see how all the assholes I've come to know and love on here are doing. 

[jammer2]

Due to the virus, the lottery will be held behind closed doors...and..the Pens have traded Frankenstien, Letang and their 1st to move into the top 5!!  Have a nice day!

[JR Ewing]

49 minutes ago, flyercanuck said:

 

I think Canada is just running about a week behind you guys with this thing. Of course our smaller population spread out over a larger area helps immensely, but I'm pretty sure the worst is yet to come.

 

 I honestly am just concerned about family and friends and I'll worry about the hockey season once this is in a major recession (the virus, not the economy...that's a given). But I'll continue to pop in here daily to see how all the assholes I've come to know and love on here are doing. 

 

My wife and I have a company which delivers health care to (mostly senior and elderly) people here in Victoria, and we're scared for our clients. One passed away yesterday from pneumonia, and two others are suffering from it as well, with the prognosis looking quite bleak for the other. One client we spoke to described his son visiting earlier in the day, freshly arrived from France, "But don't worry, he's not sick at all." and up to late last week, some homes were still feeding their residents all together in the main dining room.

 

With that, though, is a glimmer of hope. The Public Health Officer of British Columbia released some promising data two days ago:

 

 

The number of new cases, shown in orange boxes at the bottom of the chart, has been quite flat for almost a week. I can only hope it will continue like this.

 

There are big reasons behind this:

a) Social distancing has been adhered to pretty well here, aside from some of the usual covidiots we're seeing everywhere.

b) Much good credit has been given to South Korea for their extensive testing regimen, but BC has actual been testing at twice the rate of the South Koreans, more than 2x as much as the rest of Canada's provinces, and 5x as much as the United States. I suppose it's been to BC's benefit that our Public Health Officer is a person that has spent her entire career battling things like Ebola, SARS, H1N1, etc.

 

Edited March 29, 2020 by JR Ewing

[fan4ever]

1 hour ago, flyercanuck said:

 

I think Canada is just running about a week behind you guys with this thing. Of course our smaller population spread out over a larger area helps immensely, but I'm pretty sure the worst is yet to come.

 

 I honestly am just concerned about family and friends and I'll worry about the hockey season once this is in a major recession (the virus, not the economy...that's a given). But I'll continue to pop in here daily to see how all the assholes I've come to know and love on here are doing. 

 

Asshole?  Me?? Love you too!!!

 

Here is something to make you smile.  I believe this originates from someone in Canada.  There are many more on Pluto's You Tube channel...

 

[flyercanuck]

1 hour ago, JR Ewing said:

 

My wife and I have a company which delivers health care to (mostly senior and elderly) people here in Victoria, and we're scared for our clients. One passed away yesterday from pneumonia, and two others are suffering from it as well, with the prognosis looking quite bleak for the other. One client we spoke to described his son visiting earlier in the day, freshly arrived from France, "But don't worry, he's not sick at all." and up to late last week, some homes were still feeding their residents all together in the main dining room.

 

With that, though, is a glimmer of hope. The Public Health Officer of British Columbia released some promising data two days ago:

 

 

The number of new cases, shown in orange boxes at the bottom of the chart, has been quite flat for almost a week. I can only hope it will continue like this.

 

There are big reasons behind this:

a) Social distancing has been adhered to pretty well here, aside from some of the usual covidiots we're seeing everywhere.

b) Much good credit has been given to South Korea for their extensive testing regimen, but BC has actual been testing at twice the rate of the South Koreans, more than 2x as much as the rest of Canada's provinces, and 5x as much as the United States. I suppose it's been to BC's benefit that our Public Health Officer is a person that has spent her entire career battling things like Ebola, SARS, H1N1, etc.

 

 

My daughter's a nurse and works with the elderly. I'm pretty worried about her these days, but what's worse is she's scared more for my wife and I. I feel your pain.

 

 I've had the same hockey gloves for 20 years, and I've also urinated in the bathrooms of Lees Palace/ Horseshoe/Dakota/Cameron House/ElMo/Bovine Sex Club etc etc etc so I'm pretty sure my immune system is as good as anyones. 

Edited March 29, 2020 by flyercanuck

[Podein25]

1 hour ago, flyercanuck said:

 I've had the same hockey gloves for 20 years, and I've also urinated in the bathrooms of Lees Palace/ Horseshoe/Dakota/Cameron House/ElMo/Bovine Sex Club etc etc etc so I'm pretty sure my immune system is as good as anyones. 

 

You had me at Bovine Sex Club