Minnesota has been named one of the central locations where the NHL could resume the regular season.
Since the NHL placed the 2019-20 season on “pause” due to the COVID-19 outbreak on March 12, commissioner Gary Bettman and colleagues have aimed for ways to continue the season without putting players, staff, and faculty at risk. Originally, there were talks of playing the remainder of the year at a neutral location, such as North Dakota. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu also said that he had spoken with the NHL about hosting games at Southern Hew Hampshire University.
But as of Wednesday, those plans no longer exist. According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski, the NHL is now looking at playing games at regional arenas without fans in attendance. Reportedly, the current favorites are Carolina (Metropolitan), Edmonton (Pacific), and Minnesota (Central). There has not been a location determined for the Atlantic Division at the moment.
All NHL players have been ordered to remain self-quarantined until April 30, and that likely will be further extended. The NHL remains committed to finishing the season and playoffs, even if that means playing well into the summer.
“At least with the NHL, we’re trying to target some time in July,” Florida Panthers president and CEO Matthew Caldwell said. “When we feel that the players are safe, and we have enough testing and we have enough ways to get back on the ice, for us, it’s probably going to be contained at playing at four or five neutral sites. So that’s all being discussed right now.
While the idea of playing the final 12 games of the year in Minnesota sounds less than ideal, it certainly beats canceling the rest of the season with no Stanley Cup champion awarded. It does… right?
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