As noted this morning by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the NHL is instituting some changes to the in-arena COVID protocols. James Mirtle of The Athletic examines the changes, which include the removal of the glass behind the benches. In the memo, the league explains the change:
To allow for air flow to more easily move away from the benches where Players and Coahces are in close proximity to on another during games, Clubs/Arenas shall remove the partitions of shielding that are behind the home and visiting team benches.
In Mirtle’s piece, he explains that some team personnel are “on edge” about whether the season can be completed. Yesterday, the league had 40 players on the COVID Protocol Related Absence list and three teams–Buffalo, New Jersey, and Minnesota–with their facilities currently shutdown and games postponed due to an outbreak. The only division safe from disruption so far has been the North, which has not yet seen a game postponed this season.
- It’s not just players and coaches that have to deal with the reality of COVID-19. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that Philadelphia Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher tested positive for the virus last month and had to isolate in a hotel. The front office executive is now out of isolation and recovered. The league’s COVID Protocol Related Absences list is only for players and does not include staff—like Fletcher or Buffalo head coach Ralph Krueger—that have tested positive or required isolation for close contact.
- The AHL is trying to start their season tomorrow, meaning they’ll have to deal with their own COVID struggles. That started today when two games were postponed already. Due to league protocols, the Cleveland Monsters are unable to travel to Rockford to face the IceHogs on Friday and Saturday. The Chicago Wolves will play Rockford on Saturday instead. While the league has officially listed those games as “postponed” on the schedule, it is not at all clear if they will actually be rescheduled for some point down the line.
how many games were cancelled in the bubble again?
I get it’s not an ideal scenario, and one players weren’t in favor of, but the alternate is continue to head down this road and potentially cancel/postpone the season and not get paid.
Well, so far the number of games cancelled per week has exceeded my “over” by more than any of us wanted, now with maybe no end in sight. I appreciate James Mirtle’s wording about some team personnel being “on edge” about the rapidly diminishing possibility of some teams’ ability to complete their 56-game schedule. Not quite being at the quarter point yet, some teams are looking at running out of runway to get it done.
I understand how hard it would be to do, but…the NHL needs to adjust the schedule on the fly and go to a 48 game season (the number used in previous lockout shortened seasons).
Teams that are far behind need to play extra games, but making them all up “after” the season is very problematic.
Give the teams that have played most of their games some time off now in the middle of the season rather than at the end, disrupting momentum going into the playoffs. Let the teams that have gotten behind (Florida has missed a bunch of games and I don’t think they’ve even had any cases) catch up.
And build more breathing room into the re-worked schedule, 3 games a week so that a 4th game could be added here and there for further postponements. Schedule each team for only two games in the final week, allowing room for a few more to be added if needed, while still allowing other teams to stay in game shape.
*Also, and this might be too hard to pull off logistically, but…couldn’t they figure out how to have the teams without cases whose games were cancelled play each other.
Example, the Pens and Isles are idle now because the Devils and Sabres are having outbreaks, couldn’t the Pens and Isles play now instead? Bank as many games as you can and leave more room in the future schedule for makeups?
this is legit the best comment ive ever seen on here