2020-21 season could start later & how it affects the Rangers
By Steve Paulus
The New York Rangers were supposed to play meaningful games starting December 1
When the NHL laid out a schedule for the “Return to Play” they also projected starting next season on December 1, 2020. That meant that the New York Rangers would open training camp on November 17, less than two months from now. It appears that will not happen.
NHL President Gary Bettman made his annual “State of the League” address via Zoom just before the start of the Stanley Cup Finals. In the address, for the first time Bettman hinted that the season could start in January. He stressed that there has been no decision made on when the season will start due to the numerous concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic. He cited immigration restrictions in traveling to Canada as one of the major concerns.
For the first time, he also said that the league could begin the season with no fans in the stands, and gradually ramp up fan participation based on local regulations. That would be a financial hardship for the NHL as as much as 50% of the NHL revenues is attendance driven. The league doesn’t have the same lucrative television contract that sports like Major League Baseball or the NBA have. With many teams close to break even or losing money, no fans in the seats is not possible.
Bettman said that they intend to have a full 82 game season, but considering when the season will start, that may be a pipe dream.
Other leagues monitored
Bettman said that the NHL is learning from how other leagues are operating. MLB is playing with no fans and has numerous cancellations due to infection. The NFL is greatly limiting attendance and it is based on local regulations.
One challenge for hockey is that the sport is played indoors as opposed to football and baseball. In Europe, the KHL is playing with up to 50% attendance, but they have had numerous cancellations. Games have been cancelled for three straight days this week after players tested positive and the entire Jokerit team was in quarantine for 14 days, forcing a rescheduling of their games.
The IIHF announced that the 2021 Under-20 World Junior Championships will go on as scheduled, but will be in the “bubble” format used by the NHL and will be held in Edmonton with no fans.
On NHL Radio there were reports that NHLPA sources were speculating that the new season may not start until as late as March. Considering the numerous unknowns facing the NHL, that sounds like a worst case scenario.
How it affects the Rangers
A mid to late January start of the 2020-21 season will mean that the Rangers will have played all of three games in nine months. That’s not a lot of hockey. Since most teams will be in the same boat, it shouldn’t affect the team’s on-ice performance, but with some aging players on the roster you have to wonder.
One reason that a delayed start would be a good thing would concern the team’s prospects already in action. It would mean that the NHL season would be starting much closer to the end of the KHL, SHL and Liiga seasons meaning players under contract like Vitali Kravtsov, Libor Hajek, Yegor Rykov, Lias Andersson and Tarmo Reunanen will have a head start on the rest of the team and could join the Rangers relatively early in the new season.
It could also affect prospects not under contract like Nils Lundkvist and Lauri Pajuniemi. They could sign their Entry Level Contracts after the European seasons are over and burn off one year of eligibility by coming to North America to play.
Jeff Gorton and the Rangers management staff have to be taking all of this into consideration as they plan their off-season moves. If they know that they will have Lundkvist under contract and ready to play midway through next season, how will that affect their need for a depth right shot defenseman?
The fact that the IIHF is going ahead with the WJC tournament is good news for the four eligible Ranger prospects. Karl Henriksson should be an important player for Team Sweden. Hunter Skinner is a candidate for Team Canada while Finland’s Leevi Altonen and Eric Ciccolini of the USA have a slim chance of making their teams.
One intriguing option is that presumptive top draft pick Alexis Lafreniere would be eligible to play and if the NHL season is delayed, he could actually participate in the WJC along with any of the nine other players the Rangers will draft in October. Lafreniere had passed on starting the QMJHL season, but he may change his mind if the NHL season will start that late.
Questions
Perhaps the biggest issue is a late start means that Henrik Lundqvist has more time to decide about his future if he is pondering retirement. That may be a moot question as the buyout window opens later this week and the Rangers could just buy him out as soon as it opens. At any rate, they have to decide on a Lundqvist buyout by October 8 (or six days after the Finals end).
If the NHL announces a late January start date, it means training camps won’t open until the new year. Will any current Rangers look to try to get some playing time in Europe? Would it benefit a Kaapo Kakko to play three months in Finland if he isn’t going to see any action in North America until January?
Gary Bettman gave no time frame for any of the many decisions facing the NHL. He wants to get past the Stanley Cup Finals and at that point the attention will be on the NHL Entry Draft, the buyout window and free agent frenzy. It’s a situation all NHL observers will be monitoring.