What hockey might look like when play resumes

Questions to considerIs a shinny-version of the game appropriate for a professional league, never mind entertaining? And is it realistic to expect players to not retaliate physically after being slashed or speared, regardless of intent?

How might games played in empty arenas affect the players’ intensity without the crowd’s energy? (Anyone who thinks the energy from fans isn’t appreciated by the players should send me a tweet. I have bridges to sell you.)

Would winning the Stanley Cup hold as much prestige, or would it come with an asterisk due to the unprecedented circumstances?

For example, New Jersey without question earned each of its three Stanley Cups. However, it’s not uncommon for some fans of opposing teams to tease Devils faithful by calling the team’s championship of 1995 a “half-Cup” because the regular season was trimmed from 82 games to 48 by a lockout.

Would you care if the Rangers won the Cup this summer only to have fans of their blood-rivals label the title as tainted by the long layoff and neutral sites with no fans in attendance? Or would you shrug off the noise and gloat anyway?

What do you think?

Drop a line below to tell us how you feel.

Before you do, please understand that I’m not saying the Rangers even will be in the playoffs should the NHL resume this summer, much less win the Stanley Cup.

I tried to create at least a rough portrait of what things might look like if the NHL resumes, and we’re back to watching the game we all love.