NHL players approve 24-team return to play format to resume 2019-20 season
The National Hockey League is moving closer to returning to the ice and resuming a season that was put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Executive Board of the NHL Players’ Association on Friday authorized further negotiations with the NHL on a 24-team return to play format to determine the winner of the 2020 Stanley Cup.
The NHLPA, in making the announcement, stressed that several details still must be negotiated. It said an agreement on the format would still be subject to the parties agreeing on all issues relevant to resuming play.
The NHL said it was “pausing” the season on March 12 because of the rapid spread of the coronavirus. The pause turned into weeks and now months and many players returned to their homes and home countries to be with their families during the global health crisis.
The Carolina Hurricanes, who reached the Eastern Conference finals last season, will be among the 24 teams in the restart. The Canes, before the season suspension, were 38-25-5 after 68 games -- ranking sixth in the Eastern Conference with 81 points -- and held the first wild-card playoff spot.
One format that has been discussed NHLPA and NHL has the top four seeds in each conference receiving byes while the other 16 teams first face off in best-of-five play-in rounds -- the seedings perhaps determined by points percentage -- to determine the Stanley Cup playoff field. The games will be played without fans and could initially be held at as many as four “hub” sites.
One seeding format has the Hurricanes, as the No. 6 seed, facing the New York Rangers (No. 11) in the play-in round. The Canes last played March 10 in Detroit, beating the Red Wings 5-2.
Canes president and general manager Don Waddell, in a recent interview, said he believed the season would resume -- “I’m assuming we’re not going to have fans but I think we’ll play at some point,” he said -- while also noting there could be a few regular-season games before moving into the playoffs.
But more important issues need to be resolved before any game is played. How safe will it be? How much testing for the coronavirus can be done? What if players, coaches or staff members fall ill? What if players balk at playing, saying they don’t feel safe? What about players and coaches who have underlying medical conditions or are at an age that they might be more likely to contract the novel coronavirus?
And there are other logistical questions. What cities are best suited to serve as a “hub” for the games? Is there adequate hotel space and practice facilities? How long will teams hold their training camps after a few months off the ice? When will the season start up again? How long might players be away from their families?
The Canes could be close to full strength. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who suffered a broken left fibula in January, has been medically cleared and has been skating the past few weeks. Defenseman Sami Vatanen, who was on the injured list when obtained in a Feb. 24 trade with New Jersey, should be ready. Vatanen did not play a game before the season suspension.
