Trump lays out plan for the return of sports

U.S. President Donald Trump has spelled out his plan for the return of all professional sports, including hockey. Trump says his plan was developed in consultation with the commissioners of "almost every sport", with many of them taking part in another conference call with the President on Wednesday.

"Many of them are gonna be starting without the fans, so it'll be made for television. The good old days, made for television," Trump said, according to Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times. "And it'll go that way, and then the fans will start coming in, maybe they'll be separated by two seats. And then ultimately, we want to have packed arenas.”

"When the virus is gone, we're going to have packed arenas, and we're gonna be back to enjoying sports the way they're supposed to be. ... So at a certain point in time, when the virus is gone, we're gonna be back to normal."

Trump’s remarks are in line with those of Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the chief medical experts on the administration's coronavirus task force, who said earlier this week he envisions sports returning this summer without fans.

Just about every professional sport is on hold right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, plans are being developed for their return, with the PGA stating Thursday that it will come back in July without fans in attendance at tournaments.