NHL fighting losing battle in Canada

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This article was published 18/12/2020 (1763 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

At first they faced off against each other, clashing over cold, hard cash, which brought negotiations to a screeching halt for a couple of weeks. Now, with plans for a new NHL season finally in place in the form of a tentative deal struck Friday night, the league and its players are locked in an unexpected new fight.

Playing the role of the Grinch that might steal post-Christmas hockey around these parts is a collection of provincial government and health officials, who apparently aren’t as excited about the prospect of an all-Canadian division this coming winter as the rest of us. 

Teasing the masses with such a concept, only to yank it away at the last minute, would certainly be on brand with 2020, wouldn’t it?

But with COVID-19 numbers still alarmingly high in most markets, and the vaccine rollout just beginning, the prospect of having the Winnipeg Jets, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens criss-cross the country for the next few months apparently has many decision-makers uneasy.

I’ve heard a meeting involving the league and various authorities earlier this week did not go well, with concerns over some of the protocols in place. And so the approval that is required in Manitoba, British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec to hold games had yet to come as of Friday evening — even as the NHL and NHLPA were virtually shaking hands after weeks of on-again, off-again talks, agreeing to terms of a modified 2021 campaign that is set to launch Jan. 13.

Whether that includes action here in the Great White North remains to be seen. Woe, Canada? Perhaps. 

“It’s completely ridiculous. It makes no sense whatsoever,” one frustrated player agent told me this week.

“At this point, everyone is guessing on what may or may not happen,” said another. 

The health and safety of all citizens during a pandemic is paramount, and that should not be compromised one iota for the sake of a silly game. You only have to look at the mess down south to see how much better our nation has handled the outbreak. And so while I’ll reserve judgment until all the facts emerge of exactly what was initially proposed and rejected, I will say I’m surprised this has become an issue. And I’m definitely not alone. 

The NHL thought they’d be cleared for takeoff once they decided games would be played without fans and with no cross-border travel as a result of putting all seven Canadian teams together for one year only.

A 56-game schedule, with divisional play only, has already been sent to all 31 clubs and has them based out of their home markets. They’d follow a similar public health model that they had in place during last summer’s successful return-to-play, including frequent testing for all players and team staff. 

The big missing ingredient that is causing much concern is the lack of a bubble environment that existed in the hub cities of Edmonton and Toronto during the playoffs, at a time when infection numbers were much lower than they currently are. And that is no small matter. According to some reports, Quebec and B.C. have been the most vocal opponents.

The Jets were recently given the green light to skate here in Winnipeg despite the code red status that has shut down all other recreational activity in the city and non-essential businesses. But upon reading the specific wording, it only applies to their ability to train, not to host games. That will require a separate order, which would be filled with extensive safety regulations governing both teams. 

To be clear, the issue isn’t the travel itself. Manitoba is the only province currently requiring visitors to quarantine, and only those coming from the east. That means only the Maple Leafs, Senators and Canadiens would require an exemption to fly into Winnipeg. However, having teams free to move around the country is only part of the equation, and ultimately worthless if authorities won’t allow them to hit the ice for games.

And so barring a late-breaking compromise, the next-best plan is either another bubble-type setup for the seven Canadian clubs or something even more extreme that has now been floated as a possibility to the Jets and their northern neighbours in a conference call on Thursday — temporarily relocating to the United States, where COVID-19 restrictions are generally far more lax, to play out their seasons.

Not only would that kill the Canadian-division concept (and the existing schedule that’s been drawn up), it would also add additional expenses at a time when revenues are next to nothing, while also infuriating players who would once again be away from loved ones for extended periods of time. All of which is why I’d be stunned to see it happen. 

“It’s completely ridiculous. It makes no sense whatsoever.” – Player agent

Sources say the NHL is going to take one more shot at keeping everyone home, sweet home in the form of follow-up meeting with government and health officials in the coming days. The Public Health Agency of Canada is also involved, and the league is expected to present some tweaks in the hopes they address concerns which got the thumbs down. 

They better hope they make a convincing argument. If they don’t, a big decision looms. There’s no way the league is going to operate with just the 24 American teams, so a quick fix will have to be found for the Canadian clubs. A return to Edmonton, rather than re-locating south, is likely the lesser of the two evils. 

While all of this is happening, players have started trickling back to their home markets in anticipation of a Jan. 3 start to training camp. Both the players and NHL board of governors still have to ratify the deal struck Friday night in votes to be held this weekend. There are many details to consider, including expanded taxi squad rosters due to the AHL not starting until at least February and opt-out clauses for players who don’t feel comfortable playing during a pandemic, 

There are approximately a dozen Jets players in town, although only three are cleared to skate. The others are in the modified quarantine protocols which have been worked out between the province and the team.

For players coming from elsewhere in Canada, they have to self-isolate for seven days, which includes being tested every other day. Assuming those are negative, they can leave their homes to go to the rink, but nowhere else, for the next seven days. For those coming from the U.S or Europe, the full 14-day quarantine was still in place as of Friday, although talks were ongoing to replace it with the modified one that was also in place last summer.

But their return to Winnipeg could be short-lived if the Jets have to once again take their show on the road and become nomads, this time for a full season. 

Perhaps we should have seen this coming. As 2020 has shown, the best-laid plans remain in a perpetual state of limbo. COVID-19 is still running the show, at least for a while longer. And when it comes to Canada, the NHL may be fighting a losing battle on that front. 

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg