Gary Bettman has the final say on whether a player is fit to play or not!

When it was announced that a 24-team playoff tournament would indeed take place in two different hub cities earlier this month, it was also revealed that the NHL had decided to let players the option to opt out of the league’s Return to Play if they choose without consequence.

Calgary Flames defenseman Travis Hamonic was the first player to officially opt out of the NHL’s Return to Play, as he bares in mind the healthy of his daughter because of she already has gone through and the concerns if she were to catch COVID-19. 

Five other players have decided to opt out as well, while Chicago Blackhawks blue liner Brent Seabrook announced today that he was unable to join his teammates in Edmonton and take part in the postseason, which kicks off in the qualifying round against the Oilers. He is still dealing with pain, following three surgeries over the course of the season. 

We had a few players deemed unfit to play since the start of Phase 3, as Boston Bruins' David Pastrnak, Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews and even Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins got the label unfit to play at one point during training camps. However, both Toews and Crosby have returned to practice and joined their respective teammates. 

Fans wonder if more players will be added to the list of players who cannot attend the playoffs and on the air of Sportsnet, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman revealed that he will have the final say on whether a player is fit to play or not. 

As we know, there isn’t a whole lot of fans who trust Bettman, however he did admit that he will take all guidance, and defer all medical decisions to governmental authorities and their own medical experts.

Let’s hope he does not have to make brutal cuts ahead of the first games on August 1st.