NHL is considering a September Stanley Cup. How will 2021 be impacted?
Picture it. The Stanley Cup.
Awarded…
…in September???
Yes. That could happen based on a conference call among NHL owners Tuesday. In our weekly hockey podcast, Penguins Radio Network host Brian Metzer and I talk about the logistics of that attempt. And whether or not that is even worthwhile to try.
Metzer raises a point about the mental asterisk that may be associated with any such trophy to a team winning it during such an odd season.
I’m not worried about that.
What I am worried about is the condition of the ice in the buildings trying to house hockey games in July and August, the issues present when it comes to extending the calendar that close to 2020-21, and the perceived importance of finishing out a measly 10 games or so on the regular-season schedule.
Brian and I are also concerned about a few things we heard in the TSN.ca report about the conference call. Darren Dreger, who relayed the information, said, “If healthy enough to do so, if the National Hockey League is able to return with other major sports, the National Hockey League and the players’ association are going to want to conclude this season.”
Hmmm. “If healthy enough?”
Geez. That sounds ominous. Metzer and I took notice of that, and we question what that may mean for some specific teams.
Here’s another item I have. The NHL apparently had an “infectious disease consultant” on the call with them, according to Dreger. This person was allegedly based in New York. And indications are that he gave the board of governors a “reality check and “some pretty hard numbers.”
Well, if this is one of the same guys who has been advising New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, consider me unimpressed.
Because Cuomo has been using anything but hard numbers in his messaging to New York residents; randomly spitting out ranges of anywhere from “40 to 80 percent” infection rate and hyperbolizing “four to six to nine month” stay-at-home projections.
That’s not what the NHL needs. The NHL needs balanced information. Not screeching agenda-driven, worst-case scenarios.
Right now, it’s Cuomo’s job to keep people inside and keep them safe for the immediate future. It’s the NHL’s job to get long-term advice. Hopefully that “messaging” is getting through to them better than it is to the citizens of New York State.
Beyond that, Brian and I get into how revenue sharing may help, the AT&T SportsNet series of Penguins replayed games, the glory of Bud Ice, and sadness surrounding our wave of concert cancellations.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.
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