Nailing down NHL start date difficult with virus raging

The sound of padlock chains and doors slamming around Canadian and U.S. cities the past few days just adds to the angst of when — or if — an NHL season will start.

The closed borders of COVID-19 splitting the schedule into Canadian teams and three U.S. divisions is already on the horizon, but the seven northern franchises can't be too assured yet about moving freely around their own lodge. British Columbia Premier John Horgan this week called on Ottawa to follow B.C.'S lead in discouraging non-essential interprovincial travel.

“The people of Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba need to know that they should stay in Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba,” Horgan said, “until we get to a place where we can start distributing a vaccine across the country.”

Hopefully, the COVID situation will improve in coming weeks. But while Canadian teams would likely be allowed to travel east and west under some kind of special dispensation, an actual agreement to play is still a long way off.

Word this week of NHLPA rejection of the league's push to have them absorb further salary cuts keeps closing the negotiation window. Something needs to be hammered out around Dec. 1 to reach a deal for a potential 60-game schedule by Jan.

1. A source told Joe Haggerty of Boston Hockey Now that a mid-january return was more likely, given players would object to leaving family in the middle of Christmas holidays to attend training camp, after many of them were in playoff bubbles for weeks during the summer.

The daily rising case count also lessens chances of fans being allowed in the rinks, at least at the start of play. That will further discourage owners and their gate-driven American Hockey League farm teams.

COVID CLOBBERS EUROPE

European hockey leagues that chose to keep operating during the pandemic are constantly on guard to keep their teams safe.

But an outbreak among players on Davos in the Swiss league has sidelined 41-year-old Toronto Maple Leaf Joe Thornton. The whole team is in quarantine after five players, not known to include Thornton, tested positive the past few days. A Thursday match against Langnau was cancelled, as was the next game on Nov. 27.

Davos general manager Raeto Raffainer told Sportsnet this week: “We and Bern are the only organizations that haven't had a case, but it's only a matter of time until we run into problems, as well. Statistically, somewhere down the road, we'll catch it. We don't have a bubble system, players are going home, meeting friends. You can't lock them down. But we're going to play and we're going to have our 52-game regular season schedule. If it's not possible, we'll cut it down and be flexible month by month.”

Intermittent cancellations have happened through the Russian-based KHL since September, and Detroit's top defence prospect, German-born Moritz Seider, has seen his fast start (seven points in eight games) with Rogle in Sweden halted by missing two recent games and not being scheduled to play for another week.

TURTLE DERBY

There was a happy reunion with new Vancouver Canucks goaltender Braden Holtby, wife Brandi and their two pet tortoises after a customs issue slowed their crossing into Canada.

While the paperwork to get Honey and Maple was properly filed in Canada, the Holtbys didn't have the needed documents on the U.S. side. Holtby, who played net for the Washington Capitals for the past decade, stayed there, while Brandi crossed earlier in the week. By Friday night, things were fasttracked.

“Welcome to Canada, Honey and Maple!” Brandi tweeted, including emojis of the red maple leaf and green turtles and a thank you to American officials. “NOW you may laugh at the image of Braden being stuck at the border with a tortoise under each arm.”

ICE CHIPS

Goaltender Anton Khudobin should be ready for the Dallas Stars' training camp after October surgery to repair nerve damage in his right arm, says GM Jim Nill. Ben Bishop is four months away after a knee operation last month ... Centre Quinton Byfield, the No. 2 pick in the draft, has informed the Los Angeles Kings he won't be with them for a projected Jan. 1 start to the NHL season until he's done with Team Canada at the world juniors.

That event could run until Jan. 5.