NHL season 20/21

[steveoath]

Thought it might be useful to post info/rumors on the structure of next season. 

https://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Eklund/Rumor-from-Two-Sources--NHL-Considering-Double-Headers-Early-Next-Season/1/107487 

Speculation here of a December start and the inclusion of doubleheaders (in this case 2 games with the same teams playing, on the same day). 

Edited September 24, 2020 by steveoath

[Marvin]

I've seen also proposals for a Canada-only division, conference-only regular season, and a season anywhere from 60-82 games.

A lot of this really depends on where the US is on COVID-19 as well as how other sports handle travel and audiences.

[In The Buff]

Double headers & a schedule that is condensed? Doesnt sound like a good plan at all & i doubt the Players Association would approve such a plan.

[French Collection]

I don’t know about double headers, these guys haven’t done that since minor hockey tournaments.

The risk of injury may increase with double headers and teams may have to travel with a larger roster, hurting the bottom line. Buffalo/ Rochester could help for home games but many teams are not that close.

[spndnchz]

With Bettman himself saying Dec 1 won’t happen, most likely late Dec or January.

Sabres rep allowing us STH to not make any more payments until late November.

I see a shortened season starting in January.

[Thorner]

I feel like even if they've start later than Dec, they'll try and get all 82 in. Seems to be a priority. 

[Marvin]

1 hour ago, In The Buff said:

Double headers & a schedule that is condensed? Doesnt sound like a good plan at all & i doubt the Players Association would approve such a plan.

I just remembered: in hockey, "double-header" means "playing the same team in consecutive games in the same location."  This was used by LA, Vancouver, and California when their nearest neighbours were St.Louis, Minnesota, and Chicago.  To save on travel, they played their divisional rivals on consecutive nights in their home cities.

[SwampD]

17 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I feel like even if they've start later than Dec, they'll try and get all 82 in. Seems to be a priority. 

Woot! More summer hockey to watch!

[mphs mike]

I can't imagine hockey doubleheaders at the NHL level. If attempted, it'll be all star game "physicality"  

[steveoath]

Bettman saying he isn't keen on going into the summer as fans like watching over autumn, winter And spring.  It's that actually true?

Edited September 22, 2020 by steveoath
as a permanent change I should have said

[Curt]

1 hour ago, steveoath said:

Bettman saying he isn't keen on going into the summer as fans like watching over autumn, winter And spring.  It's that actually true?

I don’t think that they will be going into summer as a permanent change, but will do whatever they can to get in as many games as possible next season.

[In The Buff]

On 9/21/2020 at 7:00 PM, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

I just remembered: in hockey, "double-header" means "playing the same team in consecutive games in the same location."  This was used by LA, Vancouver, and California when their nearest neighbours were St.Louis, Minnesota, and Chicago.  To save on travel, they played their divisional rivals on consecutive nights in their home cities.

Yep, thats the way I took it too. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. I think we would see more player injuries or the quality of the game would go down.

But I think the whole idea is an exercise in futility, as i can't imagine the NHLPA ever agreeing to such an idea. I think its dead on arrival if its even true in the 1st place.

[Marvin]

3 minutes ago, In The Buff said:

Yep, thats the way I took it too. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. I think we would see more player injuries or the quality of the game would go down.

But I think the whole idea is an exercise in futility, as i can't imagine the NHLPA ever agreeing to such an idea. I think its dead on arrival if its even true in the 1st place.

That depends.  There used to be a lot of back-to-back home-and-home, 4 games in 5 nights, 5 games in 7 nights, etc.

It has a few advantages.    The second game of all these double-headers will likely be more bitter and hotly contested by the team that loses the first one.  Fans should find those games a lot more fun.  Also, there would be fewer of those games where your team is tired while the opposition is rested.

IMHO, players should be OK with it because it should lead to less travel: for instance, all the games in Florida can be done in one trip rather than two.

Coaches should like the idea of better practise schedules and, generally, better-rested players.  Less experienced coaches can learn how to make adjustments between games when playing the same team, like you do in the playoffs; more experienced coaches should like the advantage they would have.

Overall, there would be less variation in exposure of the teams, players, coaches, scouts, etc. to COVID-19 because you would travel less, be exposed to foreign environments fewer times, etc.

[In The Buff]

8 minutes ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

That depends.  There used to be a lot of back-to-back home-and-home, 4 games in 5 nights, 5 games in 7 nights, etc.

It has a few advantages.    The second game of all these double-headers will likely be more bitter and hotly contested by the team that loses the first one.  Fans should find those games a lot more fun.  Also, there would be fewer of those games where your team is tired while the opposition is rested.

IMHO, players should be OK with it because it should lead to less travel: for instance, all the games in Florida can be done in one trip rather than two.

Coaches should like the idea of better practise schedules and, generally, better-rested players.  Less experienced coaches can learn how to make adjustments between games when playing the same team, like you do in the playoffs; more experienced coaches should like the advantage they would have.

Overall, there would be less variation in exposure of the teams, players, coaches, scouts, etc. to COVID-19 because you would travel less, be exposed to foreign environments fewer times, etc.

Yep I remember the back to backs & that would make sense this year for sure. But thats different than playing 2 games in 1 day & makes more sense too imo. I'm almost surprised you seem to be in favor of it because it sounds to me like such an obvious bad idea that the players wouldn't accept.

Sure it has some advantages on a scheduling basis, but why stop there, lets have triple headers? Then we could really pack the games in!

But seriously, i didn't think players liked back to backs all that much to begin with. So asking them to have them now on the same day doesnt sound likely. You'd also have to change the regulations for the game, as you couldnt expect them to play 2 60 minute games. You'd have to do what they do in baseball & shorten them, and once again i think thats a nonstarter as I can't see the league wanting to change the length of the games.

Idk if you've ever played hockey before, but its not like baseball where you only physically exert yourself in spurts. In hockey you're exhausted & i just cant imagine having to play twice in a day. It'd also take longer to recover, where you'd need days off after. Days off that could just be used to play instead, making the whole idea useless.

Final note, these are semi interesting things to talk about as fans, but respectfully thats all it really is i think. I'd give it less than 1% chance of happening. Unless the NHL went full on crazy & said lets play 3 on 3 hockey this year.

[PerreaultForever]

If there are no fans they should just keep playing bubble hockey for the whole year instead of having a season. Maybe have 4 bubbles, Each division plays in a bubble, has a round robin sort of thing, prize to the winner. Then mix it up like in the worlds where the top teams go to one bubble and play, etc. Winner of the loser bowl gets to move up, loser of the next tier down, and then the top 24 of all that has a playoff for the Stanley cup. 

Something like that. Everybody plays. Lots of games, lots of stuff for each team at each level and only 4 (and then 2) safer locations. maybe all 4 in Canada. Just don't see how it'd work with extensive travel and cross border.

[steveoath]

3 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

If there are no fans they should just keep playing bubble hockey for the whole year instead of having a season. Maybe have 4 bubbles, Each division plays in a bubble, has a round robin sort of thing, prize to the winner. Then mix it up like in the worlds where the top teams go to one bubble and play, etc. Winner of the loser bowl gets to move up, loser of the next tier down, and then the top 24 of all that has a playoff for the Stanley cup. 

Something like that. Everybody plays. Lots of games, lots of stuff for each team at each level and only 4 (and then 2) safer locations. maybe all 4 in Canada. Just don't see how it'd work with extensive travel and cross border.

Dunno if the players would be happy getting separated from families for a season though.  There would need to be breaks,  then constant testing to ensure "bubble integrity". 

[MattPie]

Or just skip a season. It's not like the NHL hasn't done it before.

[Curt]

24 minutes ago, MattPie said:

Or just skip a season. It's not like the NHL hasn't done it before.

Why would they do that?  If they just skip a season no one gets paid.

[Marvin]

1 hour ago, MattPie said:

Or just skip a season. It's not like the NHL hasn't done it before.

They can't do that -- the NBC contract is up.  They have to do something or that next contract will be peanuts by comparison.

[Taro T]

3 hours ago, MattPie said:

Or just skip a season. It's not like the NHL hasn't done it before.

Not a chance.  They didn't actually work together to extend the CBA to simply see a full season wasted for other reasons.

They're going to play.  My expectation is it starts around Christmas,but it could slide into January.  Don't know whether they'll start in bubble cities or like the NFL did with limited/no fans.  But they'll all be playing before fans (likely 75-100% capacity) by the end of the regular season IMHO.

[PerreaultForever]

13 hours ago, steveoath said:

Dunno if the players would be happy getting separated from families for a season though.  There would need to be breaks,  then constant testing to ensure "bubble integrity". 

No question. You'd have to do it in segments with breaks. break after each segment/round and bubble move. 

I'm just thinking you have to be able to engage fan/tv interest for a whole season and I'm not sure you can do that without crowds and just playing regular games in empty arenas (even if you could work out the travel which I doubt). 

I don't watch baseball. is that working for people? Football can sort of work cause the season is always short and it's just one game a week but I doubt I'd want to watch an 82 game hockey season in this climate. 

[PerreaultForever]

3 hours ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

They can't do that -- the NBC contract is up.  They have to do something or that next contract will be peanuts by comparison.

I don't think NBC would drop hockey right now, they need content. Hollywood/tv productions are struggling to make shows too and every network will take all the content they can get. 

[Curt]

From a TV standpoint, I don’t think having fans in the seats vs not makes that much of a difference.

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

Shouldn't this thread title be edited?

Aren't the years wrong?

[Curt]

11 minutes ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

Shouldn't this thread title be edited?

Aren't the years wrong?

2021-21 season???  I think that’s what it will end up.