The NHL is still working hard at finding solutions to try and save the 2019-20 season and the playoffs by pushing the schedule into the summer once it is safe to resume play.
If this scenario materializes, we could see the return to action from July until August and maybe even September, forcing the league to delay the start of the 2020-21 season to November.
Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand believes playing big games after 4-5 months without skating will be extremely difficult for players and could even be disastrous if not coordinated in the right way. .
In an interview with reporter Rory Boylen from Sportsnet, here is what he had to say about the situation:
“The toughest thing is, it doesn’t matter what you do off the ice, you can run, you can bike, but nothing will really simulate the workout you get on the ice. You can’t duplicate it, you can’t replicate it,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter who does what in this break we’re all going to feel awful coming back. We’re all going to be bad. It’s going to take a while to get it back. That’s probably the biggest concern. If you take guys that have been off that have had limited opportunity to work out and haven’t skated in months, you can’t just throw them back into games.
“Everybody’s going to get hurt. There’s gotta be some kind of ramp up period. It’s going to be really, really ugly for the first few games so it’d be nice to get a couple games before playoffs start, otherwise it’s really a free for all.”
On top of that, Marchand does not like he’s a fan of the idea of playing games in empty arenas if play resumes with some important limitations.
“It would be like a practice really. That’s kinda the way it’d feel,” he said. “One of the most exciting things about the game is having the fans there for support and the energy and the momentum swings they can create.”
It sounds like Marchand isn’t confident about the league’s potential solutions to get action back on track.
