Pierre LeBrun: The NHL Board of Governors held a conference call yesterday, same with the NHLPA Executive Board (player reps from each team). Both calls were basically just updating the talks that have taken place so far.
Pierre LeBrun: The Return to Play committee is working a little differently than they did in the spring. They are now up to 16 members and added Ian Cole, Zach Hyman, Claude Giroux and Ron Hainsey.
Pierre LeBrun: The RTP committee has been doing more internal work with the NHLPA. The NHLPA and NHL have been doing more of the talking this time, with some of the members of the RTP joining the calls.
Pierre LeBrun: The NHL and NHLPA are still holding out hope for a January 1st start date with mid-December training camps. Teams that didn’t take part in the Return to Play can open up seven days earlier. Nothing is written in stone.
Pierre LeBrun: With the current Canada-U.S. restrictions, it’s looking like they will have an all-Canadian division at least to start the season.
Pierre LeBrun: There is also the idea of teams playing two or three games in a row against the same team to limit travel time and exposure – similar to what MLB teams do. Just an idea for now.
Frank Seravalli of TSN: The players haven’t been given a date on when they should start reporting to their NHL cities.
Sources on both sides (NHL and NHLPA) said that the idea of playing in home areas is getting more steam than playing in “hybrid” bubble cities.
The cost to run bubbles is high and the potential lost revenue with ‘neutral’ site games. The preference is to travel to each city with fans in attendance if that city allows it. Teams would play back-to-back games in each city or three games in four nights.
Regular season game totals range from 48 to 62, with proration of salary likely coming. The NHLPA may be looking for a salary deferral as opposed to proration.
Cities like Winnipeg may need exemptions to open training facilities as all athletic facilities have been closed by the province.
There are many owners and governer wondering if a February 1st start is a more realistic idea. The NHL would like to start January 1st and award the Stanley Cup by mid-July. NBC has the U.S. NHL television rights as well as the Tokyo Summer Olympics that get underway next July.
