What if the NHL has to cancel the rest of the season?

[ZBBM]

Just thought we might want a thread to talk about this possibility.  If things keep escalating, it may need to happen.  I just have 2 thoughts to throw out at this point:

1.  I don't think playing games in "ghost arenas" is an option.  The whole nature of the contest would be changed.
2.  Seems to me that one possibility if they have to shut down completely is to create a split season next fall: a week of camp, then a 7-week(ish) "finisher" season, maybe a couple of weeks where all teams play out an abbreviated remainder of the 19-20 season to determine the playoff contestants, and a much-shortened playoff that takes only 5 weeks to complete: best of 3s for the first 3 rounds, best of 5 Cup final (or whatever the math works out to be).  Then start the 20-21 season on Nov 1 and play only 70-ish games.

That's just one scenario off the top of my head but you can bet they are having this discussion right now in NHL HQ.

 

[Deebo]

1. Playing in empty arena is an option and I think that is far more likely than outright cancellation, I doubt the NHL wants to have to return TV money.
2. That changes the nature of the contest more significantly than empty arenas do.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I'm not sure that playing in an empty arena is really a non-option. It definitely sounds like it will happen for certain teams in the NHL and is already something that's been announced will happen in the NBA.

If things end up getting REALLY bad over the next month and they had to cancel the season then I think that's all that it will be: a cancelled season. No make up games or playoffs later on. No Stanley Cup winner. I get that's it's maybe fun to think of alternatives to this but I really don't think any have a realistic chance of happening.

 

[Deebo]

If things end up getting REALLY bad over the next month and they had to cancel the season then I think that's all that it will be: a cancelled season. No make up games or playoffs later on. No Stanley Cup winner.

That's what happened 101 years ago.

Also, closed door games are somewhat common European soccer, it has been used as a punishment to clubs for different violations.

 

[ZBBM]

I don't see them playing more than a handful of ghost games.  Certainly not if that's what it takes to complete a playoffs.

And ctb, sure, they could cancel the season and be done with it but there will be a lot of pressure to devise some kind of closure.  Getting to the championship is a league's reason for being.

 

[Bullfrog]

I doubt that, ZBBM. I imagine they consider an award of the President's trophy and then it's over. Start anew next season.

Determining draft order will be a bit of a curfuffle, but I'm sure they can figure out some equitable way to reward failure.

 

[bustaheims]

It?s empty arenas or a cancelled season. Those are really the only options. They?re not going to significantly alter the playoff format and further compress next season when there are already complaints about the much less compressed season already. There?s also the not so small mater of player contracts and free agency. They might get the players on board with pushing the expiry date of contracts ending this summer back a few months, but there?s no way they?ll be on board for what would amount to practically zero off season for negotiations.

There are no good options here, but the two least bad are the two you?re against.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

Watching a game being played in an empty arena would be very similar to watching the Marlies play

 

[bustaheims]

I doubt that, ZBBM. I imagine they consider an award of the President's trophy and then it's over. Start anew next season.

Determining draft order will be a bit of a curfuffle, but I'm sure they can figure out some equitable way to reward failure.

Basically this. Even draft order wouldn?t be super difficult. Rank the teams in reverse order by P%, the bottom 15 go into the lottery as if they had finished in those spots. Lottery winners go 1-2-3, everyone else in reverse P% from there for the 1st round, pure reverse P% for every other round.

 

[Deebo]

I wonder if there is anything written into the NHL's TV contracts about what would happen with rights fees if something of this nature would cause the cancellation of games. If its up to the NHL to decide between closed door games or cancellation, then I think that would be a big factor in that decision.

Of course, cancellation could be forced upon them depending on how the pandemic unfolds.

 

[herman]

Watching a game being played in an empty arena would be very similar to watching the Marlies play

And sound like the Leafs at home

 

[Arn]

For what it?s worth this is the situation with the leagues in Europe.

https://twitter.com/ehcalliance/status/1237712522863575040

Some of the smaller leagues such as Italy are also cancelled already.

 

[Bullfrog]

I doubt that, ZBBM. I imagine they consider an award of the President's trophy and then it's over. Start anew next season.

Determining draft order will be a bit of a curfuffle, but I'm sure they can figure out some equitable way to reward failure.

Basically this. Even draft order wouldn?t be super difficult. Rank the teams in reverse order by P%, the bottom 15 go into the lottery as if they had finished in those spots. Lottery winners go 1-2-3, everyone else in reverse P% from there for the 1st round, pure reverse P% for every other round.

That's possible, but there'd likely be a push back from the better teams. They could argue that the previous draft order includes consideration of playoff results and there's no guarantee that a top P% would mean they were going to win the cup. Either way, I'm sure they'll sort it out. They might just run several lotteries in chunks (e.g. in groups of 5 based on standings at cancellation.)

 

[Arn]

Actually
Sorry the European situation has changed since that earlier tweet

https://twitter.com/ehcalliance/status/1237846821503766531

 

[Kin]

I doubt that, ZBBM. I imagine they consider an award of the President's trophy and then it's over. Start anew next season.

Determining draft order will be a bit of a curfuffle, but I'm sure they can figure out some equitable way to reward failure.

Basically this. Even draft order wouldn?t be super difficult. Rank the teams in reverse order by P%, the bottom 15 go into the lottery as if they had finished in those spots. Lottery winners go 1-2-3, everyone else in reverse P% from there for the 1st round, pure reverse P% for every other round.

That's possible, but there'd likely be a push back from the better teams. They could argue that the previous draft order includes consideration of playoff results and there's no guarantee that a top P% would mean they were going to win the cup. Either way, I'm sure they'll sort it out. They might just run several lotteries in chunks (e.g. in groups of 5 based on standings at cancellation.)

I feel pretty confident that if the league takes the decision to cancel the rest of the season that there won't be pushback from teams about whether they get to pick 26th or 27th

 

[Arn]

San Jose and Columbus both announce their remaining games will be behind closed doors

 

[Bullfrog]

I feel pretty confident that if the league takes the decision to cancel the rest of the season that there won't be pushback from teams about whether they get to pick 26th or 27th

I might be confused, but I thought draft order was determined by playoff results for the 16 teams that make the playoffs in combination with their points? There might be a possible swing of up to 4-5 spots depending on regular season results (which of course could be skewed through no fault of their own as opposed to a strike or lock-out.) Some teams might think that to be a significant difference (as evidenced by draft day trades to move up.)

Either way, I'm not particularly invested in this issue, but it would be foolish for a team to not at least try to work things in their favour.

 

[bustaheims]

Draft order for playoff teams works as follows:

Teams knocked out in the first two rounds get ranked based on their points. Then the 2 teams that lose in the conference finals, then the team that loses the final, then the Cup winner. The Presidents trophy winner would draft 27th at the highest. For most teams, the potential swing is only a couple spots.

 

[Chris]

Honestly...whether any particular sport (including NHL) has to cancel its season is just about the last thing I'm thinking about right now.

 

[Zee]

I doubt that, ZBBM. I imagine they consider an award of the President's trophy and then it's over. Start anew next season.

Determining draft order will be a bit of a curfuffle, but I'm sure they can figure out some equitable way to reward failure.

Basically this. Even draft order wouldn?t be super difficult. Rank the teams in reverse order by P%, the bottom 15 go into the lottery as if they had finished in those spots. Lottery winners go 1-2-3, everyone else in reverse P% from there for the 1st round, pure reverse P% for every other round.

That's possible, but there'd likely be a push back from the better teams. They could argue that the previous draft order includes consideration of playoff results and there's no guarantee that a top P% would mean they were going to win the cup. Either way, I'm sure they'll sort it out. They might just run several lotteries in chunks (e.g. in groups of 5 based on standings at cancellation.)

I feel pretty confident that if the league takes the decision to cancel the rest of the season that there won't be pushback from teams about whether they get to pick 26th or 27th

Melnyk will find some way to complain about something