NEWSLETTER
Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of the last day the NHL played games with full fans in attendance and the final day before the sports world (heck, the ENTIRE world) was turned upside down.
Since then, it’s been bubble playoffs in the summer, no fans in the stands (for most teams), a winter training camp, and a shortened season. The hope is that by October 2021, we are on track for a full 82-game season with an NHL that resembles what we knew back before March of 2020.
On Thursday, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly addressed the one-year anniversary, what the league is looking at in the near future as far as normalcy, and the potential for playing in the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Bill Daly on the NHL's plans moving forward: "The world keeps changing, and we'll change with it."
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) March 11, 2021
One of the major issues the NHL has faced this season is the shortened schedule and not having the revenue from fans being able to attend games.
Teams that make the playoffs are expected to be hit a bit harder since those are going to be extra games not necessarily planned for that will also not generate gate revenue. But Bettman is optimistic that come playoff time, the seats will begin to be filled again and is hoping to avoid having to play in a bubble like the 2020 playoffs.
The NHL is not planning to play the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs in a bubble, but Gary Bettman said it's possible they might need a quasi-bubble for the conference finals and maybe Cup Final if there are border restrictions impacting home games played by the North Division champion.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) March 11, 2021
Speaking of lost revenues, the NHL introduced helmet sponsorships and sponsored divisions for the first time in league history. Two things that have made almost zero impact on the general experience of the game or as a fan, they have helped the league lose less money this season.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says through their new sponsorships (helmet decals, digital ads, etc.) they've recovered upwards of $100M in revenue.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) March 11, 2021
Another effect of the pandemic was the re-aligned divisions in the NHL.
Some like it, some have their reservations. Personally, I have loved having the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks back in the same division, for a few reasons. But it seems like the newly aligned divisions will remain a one-and-done deal.
Gary Bettman said the NHL might focus on more divisional play starting next season, but the current four division alignment won't stay beyond this season provided quarantine issues are softened, etc.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) March 11, 2021
RIP the All-Canadian division.
This summer’s draft has been rumored to be moved back due to the pandemic. Deputy Commissioner Daly made it seem like the July draft would stay in July.
Bill Daly confirms that while no final decision has been taken, it's more likely than not that the July 23-24 draft will stay put as is
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 11, 2021
As far as the proposed Draft Lottery changes, the NHL Board Of Governors is expected to vote on them by the end of next week.
The NHL is expected to send out a vote memo to the Board of Governors on the proposed draft lottery changes either Friday or early next week and the expectation is the full BOG vote is expected to be completed by end of next week. Executive committee has already approved it.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 11, 2021
As far as the lottery changes go, the overarching theme is that they would be put in place to avoid teams trying to “tank” their way to better odds of winning the lottery. It also would make it so teams, like the Edmonton Oilers in the past, not able to win the draft more than twice in a five year span.
Gary Bettman: "I don't believe there's tanking in the [NHL]."
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) March 11, 2021
Wink.
The NHL started the 2019-20 season in Europe and the Chicago Blackhawks opened the year with a game in the Czech Republic against the Philadelphia Flyers. The NHL still plans to get back to playing preseason and regualr season games internationally, but it appears that those are going to be put on the back-burner until travel restrictions are lightened.
The NHL is hopeful it can be in position to resume its int'l games next fall, but Bill Daly said he's not sure if that's possible based on travel and conditions in European markets. If NHL can't play int'l games next season, Daly said hope/expectation is to do it in fall of 2022.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) March 11, 2021
As for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, the plan is still to make it work where NHL players would be able to participate in the games, but those are still far away from being settled. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will be more of a challenge to getting NHL players back in the Olympics than the IIHF will pose, but the expectation is still to have them there.
Daly said the NHL and NHLPA are working thru a list of items that they need to be satisfied with in order for Olympic participation to take place in 2022. He said they will reengage with IIHF in the not too distant future, but the IOC has to be ready to talk too.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) March 11, 2021
Finally, one of the biggest differences in my experience as a fan and as a writer is the access to teams. Media members have not been able to get the same kind of personal access to teams and players since the pandemic broke out in March. Much of the high quality content and journalism surrounding the league and around sports as a whole comes from journalists being able to be up close to the teams and players they cover. Fans love those stories and they haven’t been able to be put together in the same way for a year. It appears that will go back to the old ways, once it is safe.
Gary Bettman answers the final question of the zoom call from @DennisTFP, saying "when we get back to normal" he expects media coverage to go back to normal, too, including media having access to locker rooms.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) March 11, 2021
That’s great news for those who love following the sport and love covering the sport, alike. I’ve actually kind of missed the smell of a locker room. Not going to lie.
