Caps owner optimistic NHL, NBA, WNBA seasons will resume
Monumental Sports & Entertainment CEO Ted Leonsis is optimistic that the NBA, NHL and WNBA seasons, which have been paused indefinitely due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, will resume this year, albeit without fans. As owner of the Washington Wizards, Washington Capitals and Washington Mystics, Leonsis has a stake in all three leagues.
“I believe all three teams will play,” Leonsis said Sunday during an interview with CNN’S Wolf Blitzer.
“We will let the NBA and NHL try to finish some or all of the regular season and then go into the playoffs. We just won’t be doing it with fans. We’re focused on the health and safety for our fans and also our players.”
Leonsis said the leagues “need to be very, very cognizant” of helping their broadcast partners, such as Turner, Disney and ESPN, which rely heavily on sports programming, and did not offer a timetable for a potential return.
“We have a lot of time to do it,” he said. “There really isn’t the stress of when would a next season start, and so we get a chance to do our planning and create the protocols that really will maximize the safety for our players.”
As NBA practice facilities continued to open last week in states where stay-at-home restrictions were eased, Commissioner Adam Silver told players that a decision on resuming the season, which was suspended on March 11, could be more than a month away.
The league has discussed using single-site locations, such as Las Vegas and Orlando, for the playoffs to reduce the need for travel.
During a virtual town hall hosted by the San Jose Sharks, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said last week that ending the season without crowning a Stanley Cup champion is “not something I’m even contemplating.”
If and when the NBA, NHL and WNBA seasons resume this year, Leonsis does not expect teams to play in their home arenas.