Texarkana Gazette

NHL awaits players’ vote before discussing what comes next

- By John Wawrow and Stephen Whyno

The NHL is awaiting the result of a players’ vote on a 24-team playoff format before discussing its options on how to proceed in its bid to resume play.

With the NHL Players’ Associatio­n executive board could release the results of its vote as early as Friday, but numerous questions remain whatever the decision is.

They include potential game locations, when players can return to their respective teams and what non-playoff teams will be allowed to do during what could potentiall­y become a 10-month break between games.

NHL Deputy Commission­er Bill Daly said the league has a plan in place, but stopped short of providing details by saying it would be premature to do so at this time.

“All good questions and all questions with answers. But not in a position to answer any of them at this point in time,” Daly wrote in an email. “If and when we are in a position to make an announceme­nt, we will try to make sure they are answered in that context.”

Under the plan proposed by the NHL/ NHLPA Return To Play committee, the top four teams in each conference would play each other in a mini-tournament for seeding while the remaining 16 teams face off in a best-of-five series play-in round to set the final 16 to compete for the Stanley Cup.

Games would likely be played without fans present, and the teams grouped in hub cities around the continent. Las Vegas has become the city most mentioned as a potential site, particular­ly because of its large concentrat­ion of hotels that could house numerous teams.

Other cities mentioned include Columbus, Ohio; Nashville, Tennessee; Raleigh, North Carolina; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Edmonton, Alberta.

Should players provide a green light, the plan would go to the league’s board of governors, who would be likely to approve it. The next step would have the Return To Play committee sort out further issues including health and safety protocols.

Both sides agree there is no ideal plan, while acknowledg­ing the limitation­s they face because of the uncertaint­y created by the pandemic. The NHL’s regular season was paused on March 12, with 189 games remaining and its 31 teams having played an uneven number of games.

“Obviously, it’s not ideal, but I think in a time like this, how can anything be super traditiona­l?” Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Tyson Barrie said this week. “I think we all have to adapt and be willing to adapt and kind of realize that it’s not going to be this perfect, classic NHL playoffs. I think for the situation we’re in, for a year, I think that’s fine.”

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