Bettman: NHL prepared to play “well into summer” to complete the 2019-20 season

For the first time since “pausing” the 2019-20 NHL season nearly four weeks ago, Commissioner Gary Bettman is finally discussing the possibility of not completing the regular season and jumping directly into the Stanley Cup Playoffs if and when play resumes.

‘The best thing and the easiest thing would be if at some point we could complete the regular season and then go into the playoffs as we normally do,’ he said. ‘We understand that may not be possible. And that’s why we’re considering every conceivable alternative to deal with whatever the eventuality is.’

“I think right now there’s too much uncertainty,” Bettman told NBCSN when asked about a potential timeline for a return of hockey. “Hopefully we’ll all know more by the end of April. From an NHL standpoint, we’re viewing all of our options. We want to be ready to go as soon as we get a green light … Nothing’s been ruled in, nothing’s been ruled out.”

Bettman also acknowledged during an interview with NBCSN that the league is considering playing games at neutral site locations, as well.

NHL players are still on official quarantine for another week and analysts and experts believe that the absolute earliest that players could get back on the ice would be late June or early July.

“I do believe we can play well into the summer,” Bettman said. “The days of when games had to be postponed because there was no air conditioning in a building are long behind us. We can handle making ice now in any condition. Ice won’t be a factor.”

Bettman has not placed a deadline on when he and the league brass will make a decision on the resumption or cancellation of the season and/or playoffs.  Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, however, acknowledged in an email to The Associated Press the league will eventually have to establish ‘some last possible day’ so not to cut into the start of the following season. ‘It’s nothing that we are even close to setting at this point in time,’ though says Daly.

“All of us running sports are basically focused on the same thing,” said Bettman. “First and foremost, people’s health and well-being and safety is the most important, and while we all miss sports, either putting it on or watching it, and we all want to come back as quickly as possible, we understand what the number one priority is.”