The Rangers and Islanders likely don’t want to hear this, but NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, for the first time since halting play four weeks ago, raised the possibility Tuesday of not completing the regular season in order to squeeze in time to award the Stanley Cup.
The absolute best-case scenario, Bettman said, would be to somehow play this season’s remaining regular-season games. That would give the Islanders and Rangers, one point and two points out of an Eastern Conference wild-card spot, respectively, a shot at the playoffs.
He also acknowledged the league is considering having games played at neutral sites in the event not all teams will be allowed into their home rinks.
Joining NBCSN’s Mike Tirico on “Lunch Talk Live,” Bettman acknowledged it will be a big challenge to ensure every NHL team is treated fairly should the coronavirus pandemic prevent the final three weeks of regular-season games from being played.
“If we get to play the playoffs, who gets in and who can’t complete the regular season?” Bettman said. “We had, I think, seven teams on the bubble and they all think they would’ve had a chance. We have to deal with the lottery in order of selection in the draft …
“We understand that [finishing the regular season] might not be possible and that’s why we’re considering every conceivable alternative to deal with whatever the eventuality is. But again, it doesn’t pay to speculate because nobody in any of the sports knows enough now to make those profound decisions.”
Hoping to know more by the end of April, Bettman said league officials are weighing all possible options.
Recent reports suggested arenas in North Dakota and New Hampshire as potential locations where the league could finish the regular season and postseason. Bettman didn’t specifically mention those states, but said securing neutral sites for games was “just part of considering all the potential options depending on how we find the circumstances.”
He also said the next steps are “largely going to be determined” by how much time there is before the 2020-21 season begins once play is able to resume.
Should the NHL receive a green light to return to action, Bettman said his main priority will be ensuring players are able to get back into game shape. He mentioned ongoing conversations with the Players Association to discuss how to avoid jeopardizing players’ health.
Bettman, who has been commissioner since February 1993, said he is confident the league could operate “well into the summer.” With the 2020 Olympics postponed, Bettman noted that NBC will have a broader window to figure out how to broadcast and schedule games. He also expressed his confidence in NHL arenas’ ability to sustain the quality of ice and conditions despite summer temperatures.
“The days of when games had to be postponed because there was no air-conditioning in a building are long behind us,” he said. “We have modern, state of the art buildings. We play in places like Florida, Southern California, Arizona, Las Vegas, Dallas. We can handle making ice now in any condition because our buildings are that good and our ice-making abilities are that good.”
With seven of the 31 NHL franchises located in Canada, Bettman said he has remained in touch with the “appropriate government authorities at all levels.” Bettman also took part in a professional sports league conference call with President Trump this past weekend, and said the president gave a briefing on the current situation before taking comments and questions from each league representative.
“He, like us, would like to see sports back at the right time, both in terms of what sports represents in bringing people together and also we’re a bit of an economic engine,” Bettman said. “Tens of thousands of people work in sports. … Although, the uncertainty of the times weren’t clarified in that call. We’re all going to have to wait until we have a lot more information, maybe in the next few weeks before we can make any decisions.”
— With AP