National Hockey League Looks Forward To Restarting The Season

The entire schedule of the sports season in the US has been altered by the coronavirus pandemic breaking out. The states are now facing an extreme challenge to get back life on track and restarting their activities. 

Major leagues like Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, and National Basketball Association were postponed indefinitely seeing the worsening situation. But now it's time to get back. With MLB making plans to return in late June or early July, NHL is also eyeing the restart. 

NHL Came To An Abrupt Stop

The regular season of the National Hockey League is hosted from fall to summer. The NHL season of 2019-2020 began on October 2, 2019. The 82-game season was on and was going fine with people cheering their favorite ice hockey teams. The end of the regular season was scheduled for April 4, 2020. 

The Stanley Cup playoffs for NHL would have happened after the season ended and the winning team. By early June, the US would have seen the Stanley Cup Champion 2020. But things didn't go as planned and games had to be put on hold from March 12. 

All sports in America suffered a similar fate with no predictable future. With sports grounds being one of the most regular spots amassing huge crowds with no scope of social distancing during the league season, they had to be closed down. 

Initially, no one predicted that this crisis would go on for long. Most leagues were planning to return a few weeks later. But we are two months down the lane, and still don't have a concrete comeback schedule. Well, no one is to be blamed as the circumstances turned upside down, and everything unimaginable became real. 

Hopes Of Restart For NHL

The shutting down of sports facilities, stadiums, and every other source of outdoor entertainment has stripped Americans of their happy spirits. The leagues are in turmoil weighing the requests of players and fans back and forth. With the imposed restrictions being released, the sports world is coming out of despair. 

Private training has begun, and most want to restart group practices as soon as possible. The news of MLB’s return is huge, even though it is still not promised. This has made the NHL look up to authorities and plan a return. However, there is no specific date or announcement yet, we are positive that all the pondering will result in something good for fans. 

The government plans to support sports as they will help America stay inside glued to telecasted matches, and uplift the letdown spirits. With so much destruction of lives, sports can act as the right medicine for encouragement and cheer. 

Early Speculations vs. Now

When the games were stopped, players wished to get back on the ice and finish off the league with full integrity. But, having stayed away for so long in such grave conditions has diminished their will slightly. They still wish to get back on the ice and play for their teams, but a reduced number of games would certainly do good for everyone. 

Since there will be no audience allowed inside the grounds, the players are sure to miss the fans. But to make sure that the fans do not miss anything, everything is being thought of carefully. The NHL players want to conserve the history of the game and do not want to enter playoffs directly without finishing the regular season. 

Everything now depends on the decision of the NHL. Commissioner Gary Bettman said that they are looking at options and would adopt the best possible way with the least risk factors. 

What Does The NHL Plan Now?

The NHL is keen on finishing this season and starting with the next one. They are determined to play the correct game in the 2020-2021 season, without losing any matches. For this to happen, they will have to conclude the current one that hangs behind a pall of uncertainty. 

The NHL is looking at 8-9 sites that are safe for conducting games and lie centrally considering the location of teams. There are various border issues associated with players quarantined in different parts of the continent to make this come true. 

The NHL also looks to make play safe for all. Hence, they are looking to choose places that have ample medical facilities. The medical advisors also suggest selecting the sites that have capable testing facilities if such a risk is going to be taken. 

The season length is also undecided. The NHL has various options for completing the season, which depends on the opportunity they get. Jumping directly to the playoffs is being thought of as making people lose all the emotional investment of this season. 

A shorter regular season followed by the playoffs and finals for the Stanley Cup seems promising. Let’s stay hopeful to see the NHL come back!