Thanks to the spread of the novel coronavirus, the National Hockey League was forced to shut down gameplay and close team facilities in early March. Had the season continued, the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs would be in action right now.
However, the League has been mulling options on how to possibly resume the season and eventually see the Stanley Cup awarded to a 2020 champion. Among the options that were contemplated were finishing the regular season, or simply starting an altered version of the playoffs.
During a virtual town-hall on Tuesday, Bettman remained optimistic regarding the remainder of the season, saying that the season being cancelled is “not something I’m even contemplating.”
“I believe that if the right time comes, and the right circumstances, based on all of the options that we’re considering and our ability to execute them, we’ll get this season done,” Bettman said. “I don’t want to sound Pollyanna, but cancelling is too easy a solution. That means you stop working hard to do all of the things that we’re doing, and I ultimately believe that there will be an opportunity.”
Thanks to shelter-in-place restrictions being eased in locations across the United States and Canada, Bettman sees the potential to continue the season.
“States are re-opening, cities are re-opening,” Bettman said. “And if we do the right things, I think we’ll be able to finish the season.”
“We would like to bring a conclusion to this season,” Bettman cotinued. “It’s got to be fair, it’s got to have integrity, and if we have to do it over the summer on some modified basis, then we’ll do it on that basis.”
Here’s hoping that we get to see the Stanley Cup awarded this year!
– – Quotes via Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News Link – –
