Playoff games in July possible: Jets’ Chipman

The NHL is looking at playing the Stanley Cup Playoffs into the summer months if it has to postpone the season that long to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“Yeah, I can see it going into July,” Winnipeg Jets chairman Mark Chipman said at a Thursday afternoon news conference to discuss the NHL shutdown and other issues around the virus’s effect on True North Sports and Entertainment. “We’ve supplied July dates to the league and other teams have, so that’s not inconceivable.”

Chipman says NHL governors did not discuss a drop-dead date for awarding the Stanley Cup, which is a priority for the league, but not the No. 1 priority.

“It’s important,” Chipman said.

“But I think it would absolutely yield to the greater issues that we are all facing here. I don’t think that anybody understands the time frame we are dealing with. So, it’s really very difficult to speculate whether it will be an abbreviated season or what a playoff format would look like.”

Chipman says Jets players and coaches, called back from their road trip through western Canada, will remain at their Winnipeg homes for the time being.

They will continue to be paid their NHL salaries, he said.

None have shown any signs of illness or been tested.

“We’re not aware of anybody in our group that’s showing any symptoms right now,” Chipman said. “So far, so good.”

The Jets have won a season-high four straight games and are currently in a playoff position, based on points, but Chipman says he and other NHL governors weren’t worried about the standings when they made what he called an easy decision to shut down the league.

It’s the latest and most dramatic turn in an eventful season that began with the no-show of star defenceman Dustin Byfuglien and saw players lost to injuries or illness almost weekly.

“I’m really proud of the way our team’s played this year,” Chipman said. “It’s been a really unique year for us. I can’t remember one like it. I’ve been extremely proud of how Paul (Maurice) and Kevin (Cheveldayoff) and Blake (Wheeler) have led this organization all year long. It’s really regrettable we’re here today, but these are much, much larger issues.

“Our players feel very much the same way.

“They’re human beings who have children and families and parents and they’re all far more interested in the greater issues that we’re all facing than playing hockey right now.”