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Cancellation would be toughest on arena workers, Bruins, Pens, free agents |
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Sources say NHL officials, like other sports leagues, are hoping and planning for the possibility of playing this summer. Neutral sites, isolated players and no fans in the stands are in the plans if the NHL resumes the 2019-20 season.
But this is far from a certainty. And even if it does restart, it could shut down again if the virus invades the league’s safe zone.
Losing the season would be a major loss for fans who could use an escape right about now. But here are the folks who lose the most if the 2019-20 season is cancelled:
Team and arena employees: We are talking game-day staff, team office personnel, etc. Some team owners, and players, have tried to ease the financial burden with donations. But it hasn’t been enough. Pay cuts and layoffs have occurred, and people’s lives will be significantly altered if the season is cancelled.
The NHL: The NHL has been on a steady growth rise, and all of that will be halted if the season is canceled and the start of next season is delayed. Even if play resumes, the NHL’s revenue numbers will likely decline. How eager are people going to be to sit with thousands of strangers at a hockey game? Plus, corporate sponsorship and advertising will be down because of the battered American economy. The NHL and NHLPA will probably have to agree to some temporary rules change for the salary cap.
Zdeno Chara and the Boston Bruins: Chara is 43 and his Bruins are the NHL's top team with a high degree of consistency in their performance level. They have a good shot at winning a Stanley Cup. At Chara’s age, a cancellation means a lost opportunity.
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the Pittsburgh Penguins: It’s as if the hockey world is waiting for the end of the Penguins’ run as a Stanley Cup contender. Crosby and Malkin are pushing deeper into their 30s, and history shows us that it is difficult to stay vibrant forever in a salary cap world. But a Penguins’ falloff didn’t happen this season. The Penguins are still a contender, and GM Jim Rutherford added Jason Zucker, Conor Sheary and Patrick Marleau with the hope of giving the team a better shot. Who knows what the Penguins could do in the playoffs, but it would be entertaining to watch. Marleau, 40, hasn’t won a Stanley Cup, so a cancellation would be particularly disappointing.
Potential free agents: If the 2019-20 season is canceled, the financial hit for the league will be significant. It will be bad if they do play. Top free agents such as Alex Pietrangelo, Taylor Hall, Braden Holtby, Torey Krug, Tyson Barrie and others may have to settle for less money.
The Philadelphia Flyers: No one expected the Flyers to be the No. 6 team in the NHL at this point in the season. It would be fun to see what they do in the postseason. They are hot, winning nine of their last 10. Even if they don’t win the Stanley Cup, they will learn from a playoff experience.
Connor McDavid: If the season is cancelled, it would mark the fourth time in McDavid’s five seasons that he will have no opportunity to show his offensive magic in the postseason. If you love hockey, that’s disappointing.
St. Louis Blues: They were surging, and looked ready to defend their Stanley Cup championship, when the season was halted. If this season is lost, they may come back in 2020-21 with top player Pietrangelo, a potential free agent, playing with another team.
Minnesota Wild: They were surging when the NHL went on hiatus. They could make the playoffs if the regular-season resumes. Their work will go unrewarded if the season is canceled.
Blogger •HHOF Writer's column on the NHL • 
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