The talk of the town regarding the NHL has been whether or not the 2019-20 NHL season will resume and if it does, when will that be?
Well, with the current season being put on hold and hopefully concluding at some point, the next question is, what happens with the 2020-21 season?
According to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, the 2020-21 regular season may not begin until November or December, depending on how things play out with the coronavirus.
Bettman confirms possibility of December start next season:
Bettman: “There's no magic for next season of starting in October as we traditionally do. If we have to start in November or December, that's something that will be under consideration.” https://t.co/KXPNvp3Sox— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) April 30, 2020
“We have a great deal of flexibility in terms of when we can start,” Commissioner Bettman said. “There's no magic for next season of starting in October as we traditionally do. If we have to start in November or December, that's something that will be under consideration.
“We're going to try and make good, prudent, careful judgments. This isn't a race to be first back. When we come back, we want it to be at the right time, for the right reasons, under the right circumstances.”
Commissioner Bettman said the pandemic dwarfs everything the NHL and the NHLPA are considering.
“We miss the game,” the Commissioner said. “We miss our fans. We miss watching our players play every night. We'd be in the middle of the [Stanley Cup Playoffs] right now. We're focused on trying to do the right things for the good of the game, so we can get back and connect with our great fans as soon as possible.
“But as soon as possible means under the right circumstances, and for that we're going to take our guidance from the governments at all levels and from the medical people.”
Bettman said that a decision has not yet been made regarding the current season.
“I don't think anybody knows for certain,” the Commissioner said Thursday when asked how close the NHL was to resuming the season. “We're going to have to take things one step at a time, because the health and well-being of our players is paramount to anything we're focused on.”
–Quotes via NHL.com — LINK
