U.S. Government opens the path for the NHL to resume the season.

NHL now has a clear path in America.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 3 years ago
U.S. Government opens the path for the NHL to resume the season.
Yuri Gripas/CNP/Zuma

A major development has just opened a clear path for the National Hockey League to resume its season, at least in the United States of America, by eliminating what has reportedly been a major hurdle for the NHL and the National Hockey League Players Association in their negotiations. 

On Saturday acting secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf released a statement that will make it much easier for the NHL and other sports leagues in the US to bring back professional athletes from outside of the country, severely relaxing restrictions on travel for athletes, support staff and team personnel. The move was made in an effort to support the Trump administration's efforts to reopen the US economy and based on Wolf's own words this seems to be a move that was heavily motivated by the finances behind it.

Here is a portion of Wolf's statement from today, one that paints a clear picture of how things will work moving forward:

Based on the benefit live sporting events provide to the national economy, and the need for these sporting events to have full access to their athletes, support staff, and team and league leadership, I hereby determine that it is in the national interest to except from Proclamations 9984, 9992, 9993, and 9996, aliens who compete in professional sporting events organized by certain professional sporting groups, including their professional staff, team and league leadership, spouses, and dependents.

This is of course great news for the NHL but it could also mean bad news for Canadian cities that were hoping to be selected as potential hosts for the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs. Both Edmonton and Vancouver were reportedly making strong pushes to be considered as serious candidates, but now some believe that the NHL will immediately turn its eyes towards cities in the US as a result of this ruling. Rangers insider Larry Brooks believes that unless a similar  concession is made by the Canadian government it will be impossible to work out logistically.

From Brooks:

Edmonton and Vancouver are vying to become a hub city for the NHL’s imagined return, but Slap Shots has been told that the league will not select a Canadian city unless the Canadian government grants the NHL an exception to its 14-day quarantine requirement for folks crossing the border.

It would essentially be impossible to have teams train in their U.S. home cities for up to five weeks (two weeks of informal skates followed by a three-week training camp) then go into quarantine for two weeks prior to the tournament.

Whether or not granting professional athletes an exception to the 14 day quarantine is a good idea is for far more important people than me to decide but it will be interesting to see how fans react to certain people, in this case professional athletes, receiving special treatment while so many of us have been forced into lockdown.

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