Hockey is a contact sport, so I can’t see teams playing until this is completely over. (Even without spectators)

Or is everybody ok, that a team forfeits all games for 3 weeks (or a play-off series) if a player or staff tests positive and has to go into isolation ? I don’t think so.

It renders a won title to a joke.

Imagine the Leafs actually win the cup where they have their play-off opposition having to forfeit..... it would be considered tainted and the laughing stock of opposing fans whenever their fans boast about the end of the draught.

Anyhow... leaf fans are laughing stock any which way. So all is fine.

- penguininnevada

Hockey is a contact sport, so I can’t see teams playing until this is completely over. (Even without spectators)

Or is everybody ok, that a team forfeits all games for 3 weeks (or a play-off series) if a player or staff tests positive and has to go into isolation ? I don’t think so.

It renders a won title to a joke.

Imagine the Leafs actually win the cup where they have their play-off opposition having to forfeit..... it would be considered tainted and the laughing stock of opposing fans whenever their fans boast about the end of the draught.

Anyhow... leaf fans are laughing stock any which way. So all is fine.
- Delios001

I think this is the real problem. The players can't avoid close contact with each other on the ice. To say nothing about sharing a locker room and bench. And not to mention that you need coaches, broadcasters and support staff that will all be in some contact. The risk of one person contaminating anyone and everyone is unavoidable.

What was it, the mumps that tore thru the league a couple years ago? It's typical for things to spread to multiple players on a team each year like the flu.

"you may state your opinions but please don't make this into a political slugfest about who dropped the ball in the past, and who is doing what now....We should all agree that MANY more than one person dropped the ball and that goes back years.."

Try following your own rules.. the fact that you're saying "that goes back years..." pretty much does exactly what you said not to do.. because that's your opinion, and its definitely points a political finger...
- sleepy_floyd

it's amazing isn't it? lol

the e ratings may actually be his IQ.

I think this is the real problem. The players can't avoid close contact with each other on the ice. To say nothing about sharing a locker room and bench. And not to mention that you need coaches, broadcasters and support staff that will all be in some contact. The risk of one person contaminating anyone and everyone is unavoidable.

What was it, the mumps that tore thru the league a couple years ago? It's typical for things to spread to multiple players on a team each year like the flu.
- Queenie_5_hole

yeah what's the point of playing hockey if you can't even lick a face or two

yeah what's the point of playing hockey if you can't even lick a face or two
- Pat1993

Hey - that only happened once! Or was it twice... ?

Hey - that only happened once! Or was it twice... ?

- Nasty_Duck

you "nasty duck"...

no time for politics, Ek

"you may state your opinions but please don't make this into a political slugfest about who dropped the ball in the past, and who is doing what now....We should all agree that MANY more than one person dropped the ball and that goes back years.."

Try following your own rules.. the fact that you're saying "that goes back years..." pretty much does exactly what you said not to do.. because that's your opinion, and its definitely points a political finger...
- sleepy_floyd

Um, it's not opinion, it's fact. It also doesn't point any fingers political or otherwise.

Unless you're completely blinded by partisanship, there's no argument that every politician, leader, whatever hasn't screwed up at some point.

It's impossible to be a politician and not drop the ball, especially when you're leading a population that you allow to think for themselves.

Trump wants to keep his masks...we will keep our hockey players! Enjoy the NHL without Canadian Players! Sure, US has a lot of talented hockey players...but enough to field 24 teams with quality? Id rather watch the Canadian teams that would be flooding with talent in their 7 team league.
- ShallowLarynx

Oh man, a 7 team canadian nhl league would be amazing. At least we wouldn't have to pay for us teams

The border isn't closed closed right now. Of course they'd let pro sports teams cross the border whenever they start sports again, and I don't see why anyone would have an issue with it.
- Hunkulese

the border is closed to general travel. if you show up at the border seeking entry into Canada or the US for a business meeting, they will tell you to (frank) off. it would be and should be no different for pro athletes. not a (frank)ing chance sports should start up before people like you and me have been allowed the same freedom of movement.

As much as we all love our hockey and sports, there are just too many more important things to consider right now. Of course, when things are "safe", the first steps should be players only (empty stadiums etc.) and they should be allowed to cross the border before us regular folk. The safety of the players has to be taken into consideration though...which begs the question of "if it is safe enough for Connor McDavid to cross the border, leave his home, etc....then why not Joe the Plumber?"

Selfishly, I am okay with granting athletes special permission, should they desire to play, but some won't want to take the risk (and they shouldn't be forced to). Some regular people would also have a valid argument that they need to tend to their own businesses which in their minds are monumentally more important than an athlete/team/etc. Personally, I can work fine from home and not much has changed so I'd love to see some hockey on TV, but if I could not do my job because I were unable to get to my office...who gives a sh1t about hockey!? I know "Joe the Plumber" doesn't care about anything but getting back to work to feed his kids.

I sympathize with people blocked from their jobs/businesses and I hope this gets resolved soon. As they say, "we're all in this together". (i.e. Connor McD and Joe the Plumber are equals).

By the way, check out the Sam Roberts video of him and his kids playing that song at home...it's great!

the border is closed to general travel. if you show up at the border seeking entry into Canada or the US for a business meeting, they will tell you to (frank) off. it would be and should be no different for pro athletes. not a (frank)ing chance sports should start up before people like you and me have been allowed the same freedom of movement.
- DoubleDown

They're pro athletes. They are very different from you or me, and get preferential treatment everywhere else and would in this case too. Letting a single plane of carefully monitored people cross the border is infinitely different than just letting whoever cross the border for whatever reason.

Famous and rich people have more rights than the rest of is.

They're pro athletes. They are very different from you or me, and get preferential treatment everywhere else and would in this case too. Letting a single plane of carefully monitored people cross the border is infinitely different than just letting whoever cross the border for whatever reason.
- Hunkulese

they get preferential treatment from private businesses and citizens, sure, often because their celebrity provides something in return. athletes dont get any special treatment from the government. they have to pay the same taxes and follow the same laws as everyone.

and it would not be a single plane. you're talking 2 plane trips for every cross border game. you're talking players, coaches, staff. all mingling with each other and anyone else associated with their travel and their games. and they're in and out of the major population centers that are most vulnerable right now. i just think it's nonsensical at this point.

personally, i just don't care about hockey or sports right now. i think everyone needs to stay the (frank) put right now so we can increase our odds of coming out of this sooner than later. because i think we will hit a point of no return on this social distancing/economic shut down where we inflict serious and permanent long term damage to our society.

they get preferential treatment from private businesses and citizens, sure, often because their celebrity provides something in return. athletes dont get any special treatment from the government. they have to pay the same taxes and follow the same laws as everyone.

- DoubleDown

Try and tell the governments that you're employer is making you change countries for your employment, give them no notice, say you're starting tomorrow, and see how that turns out.

They're also already given all sorts of preferential treatment concerning travel that we can't get. The border will open to these kinds of things long before some regular guy can just hop across the border for a day trip.

It's also important to send a population that things are getting better. Restarting sports at the appropriate time without fans would be effective and would carry only a minimal risk.