Sharks could be hurt by NHL’S new reported time frame to start season
The San Jose Sharks may not be getting as much time as they would like for training camp — wherever that may be — to prepare for the start of the 2020-21 NHL season.
Multiple reports indicate the league and the NHL Players’ Association are now targeting a Jan. 13 start to what would be a 56game regular season. That could be preceded by a 10day training camp with no exhibition games, according to TSN, although discussions between the league and the union are ongoing.
TSN’S report also indicated that the seven nonplayoff teams that were not part of the NHL’S Return to Play plan this summer, including the Sharks, would only get a short head start to training camp.
Those teams had sought at least an extra week to prepare for the 2020-2021 season considering they had not been allowed to skate together in large groups since March. Now, though, they may only get a few extra days, with players reporting on a voluntary basis on or around Dec. 28.
All of these dates could change with coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths reaching record levels throughout many parts of North America. In California alone Monday, county health departments around the state combined to report 34,136 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, shattering a previous single-day record.
Still, the reported time frame wouldn’t give new full-time coach Bob Boughner, associate coach Rocky Thompson and assistant John Madden a ton of time on the ice to put their stamp on the Sharks. Last year, training camps lasted more than two weeks and the Sharks had six exhibition games.
Boughner has talked about implementing new systems that are tailored
to his personnel. Thompson, in particular, has several ideas to rejuvenate the
Sharks’ power play, which finished 23rd in the NHL last season.
There also figures to be competition for certain jobs at camp, including third and fourth line center roles and the sixth defenseman spot, among others.
That’s a lot to cram into 10 to 14 days.
Boughner and Sharks general manager Doug Wilson have also spoken about the importance of getting off to a good start this season. The Sharks started 4-10-1 last year and finished with the third-worst record in the league at 29-36-5. In 2018-19, the Sharks were 1210-5 before they rallied over the final two-thirds of the season to finish second in the Pacific Division.
Before any of that happens, the league and the NHLPA still have several issues to sort out, including finalizing COVID-19 protocols, the regular season schedule, opt- out provisions for players and roster sizes.
Realignment also has to be finalized by the NHL. With the northern border still closed to non- essential travel, an all- Canadian division appears likely.