The NHL is working on multiple schedules, continues to target a Jan. 1 start to the season, and is likely to ask the players for more financial concessions in order to start the 2021 season, according to deputy commissioner Bill Daly.
Daly, talking to the Toronto Star and the Philadelphia Inquirer, added that it’s likely but not “set in stone” that teams will play in realigned divisions, including a much-anticipated all-Canadian division, and will play a baseball-type schedule, with two or three games at a time against the same team.
“A lot of those variables are related to what we end up doing schedule-wise,” Daly said. “The most likely scenario is temporary realignment … the objective is to cut down on travel and the risk associated with travel.”
The NHL played in COVID-free bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton this summer, with no cases detected among players or staff over 65 days. That was made possible in part because of a memorandum of understanding between the league and the NHL Players Association that extended the collective bargaining agreement by six years.
As far as the players are concerned, that memorandum gave the owners generous financial breaks to guide them through the pandemic and ensure play. The players are deferring 10 per cent of their salaries, while offering the owners a further 20 per cent cut in pay. That amounts to players receiving just 72 per cent of their salaries.
But the Star has learned owners want commissioner Gary Bettman to ask for a larger deferral percentage from the players. Daly did not confirm that, but suggested all financial issues were the table.
“I don’t want to get into the specifics, but I do think the financial terms on which we play, whatever season we’re playing, have a lot of elements to them,” Daly said. “Those are all going to have to be discussed and agreed upon between the owners and the players before we can move forward.
“But that’s always been the case. I want to avoid creating the impression there’s any controversial issues. All issues have to be agreed upon. I don’t view one issue to be isolated from all the other issues.”
There’s really not much time if the league is serious about a Jan. 1 start date. Training camps would have to begin around Dec. 15. Players coming to the seven Canadian teams would have to arrive in enough time to quarantine. Officially, that’s 14 days, though Daly expressed some hope there’d be exemptions.
But if there’s no exemption, team officials would have to give notice to their players before the end of November to get to their club city.
“We’re cognizant of what’s going on around North America and around the world. The trends are not in a positive direction. As of right now, we’re moving forward with the hope and intention of starting Jan. 1,” Daly said.
“If that has to slide a week or two weeks, so be it. We’re going to make sure all the factors we want answered are answered before we announce anything. But, yes, we have to build in time for travel restrictions and quarantine requirements.”
And the schedule, when it’s finalized, will have some built-in flexibility for rescheduling any games that might have needed to be cancelled over COVID concerns.
“As much as we’d like to have a perfect score like we did in Toronto and Edmonton, the fact is regardless what model we end up embracing, we have to expect we’re going to have some COVID positives and isolation requirements,” Daly said. “That may result in games being rescheduled.”
The season could last anywhere from 48 to 70 games.
“We want to play as many games as we can play. This is going to be a challenging year from a fan and economic standpoint, but we do want to get back on calendar. We think that’s important to the future growth of the business.
“We want to start the 2021-22 season on time and in an ordinary way. Hopefully world events will co-operate.”
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Obviously the league wants to play in front of fans, but Daly said teams will follow the protocols of their jurisdiction.”
Daly said it’s more likely teams will play in their home buildings rather than in hubs that would mimic the summertime experience.
“But that can change, too. It depends on what the local restrictions are. I would say if we wanted to drop the puck tomorrow, there may be a couple of markets we couldn’t play games in. Hopefully that will change between now and the start of the season.”
