The NHL might go back and decided to end 2019-20 regular season!

This scenario is back on the table!

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 3 years ago
The NHL might go back and decided to end 2019-20 regular season!
Twitter

As it has been reported for the past few days, the most likely scenario at this point for play to resume seems to be a 24-team concept where round-robin games would be held at geographically based hub sites. This would allow players to get back into competition as well as to determine seeding before entering an expanded playoff format.

But this scenario is not set in stone. 

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares, believes that another scenario could be preferred by players around the league. Tavares, along with Connor McDavid (Oilers), James van Riemsdyk (Flyers) and Ron Hainsey (Senators), represents NHL players on the Return to Play committee and believes the possibility of playing the remainder of the regular season games before getting into the playoffs remains a strong option on the table. 

“Certainly there’s still a priority to finish the regular season and play the playoffs,” Tavares says, “but as time goes by, you have to consider all our options with the information we have. The 24-team concept has been brought up quite a bit. But there’s been other concepts, other numbers of teams. We’ve thrown around everything. Nothing’s been decided on.”
“I’m not sure I’m completely 100% sold on any format,” he added, “but the biggest thing is honoring the regular season as best as we can while still giving each team that deserves the opportunity, or still has an opportunity to make the playoffs, to be a part of that.”

If ever the NHL decides to play the remainder of the regular season, it would be quite the turnaround in these unprecedented times! 

Tavares knows he is lucky to be an NHL player, but also want what is best for the rest of the players and fans out there, and most importantly everyone’s health. 

“Obviously, we want to play,” Tavares says. “Guys understand how fortunate we are to play a game for a living, and if we have that opportunity, we would be very excited about that, especially knowing the state the world is in, and the positivity that could bring back. But, at the same time, the health and safety measures have to be at the highest of standards.”