NHL, Player Association, reaches preliminary agreement on resumption protocols

The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association agreed on protocols to resume the season on Sunday, an important step towards hockey’s return this summer.

Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press that there is agreement on protocols for training camps and games, and sides are still negotiating an extension of the collective agreement, which is critical to the process.

A person familiar with the situation said that the return-to-play protocols would only take effect if each side voted to approve the full package of the CBA extension and the return-to-play agreement. The person spoke on condition of anonymity as the CBA talks are still ongoing.

To complete a return, two thirds of the league’s board of governors and the majority of the players’ executive committee and full membership must vote for it.

When everything is ratified, a pandemic shutdown that began in mid-March ends. Games will resume in late July or early August, with 24 teams participating in extended playoffs and the Stanley Cup awarded in October.

The agreement was first reported by TSN.

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Toronto is considered an NHL hub

The 47 pages of the minutes describe the health and safety measures that the league and players agreed to after several weeks of negotiations. Each player has until Tuesday 5:00 p.m. EDT to notify their team if they decide not to participate in training camps and games. An additional period is expected after confirmation of the agreement.

For the players, each team is limited to 30 skaters and an unlimited number of goalkeepers for the camp and a total of up to 31 players for the games. Each team is limited to 52 employees in its game city. This group must consist of two trainers, a doctor and a compliance officer, as well as players, trainers and managers.

They are expected to be quarantined by the public during the game, at least for the qualification and the first two traditional playoff rounds. Family members can participate if the game is moved to a city for the conference finals and Stanley Cup finals.

All team and league employees as well as hotel, restaurant and arena employees who come into contact with players are tested daily in the two “hub” cities.

A player’s positive corona virus test result is not expected to complete the game. The league has announced that it will isolate any player or employee who tests positive and acknowledge that an outbreak will threaten the rest of the season.

“Players will be fairly well protected from disclosure,” said Montreal Canadiens owner Geoff Molson during a conference call in June. “It will be a very different way for all of us and us to watch hockey and be in a team because the players are really well protected throughout the process.”

The minutes contain a provision for Commissioner Gary Bettman, in consultation with NHLPA Executive Director Don Fehr, to postpone, delay or cancel games in the event of a COVID 19 outbreak.

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Challenges when restarting the sports leagues in the middle of a pandemic

Provided the protocols are approved, the teams are expected to open training camps on July 13 before traveling to the two capitals for games. Since June 8th, players have been able to skate and train outside of the ice in voluntary small group training sessions – almost three months after the end of hockey on March 12th with 189 games remaining in the regular season.

The return to the playoffs is seen as a thrilling win for the NHL, which, like other top leagues, had the prospect of losing millions more without TV season earnings being pegged. There were deep concerns about canceling the rest of the season, and positive tests didn’t help: 26 players since June 8, in addition to almost a dozen before.

Boston defender Matt Grzelcyk called the positive test results “eye-opening” but expected. Some players have raised concerns about return uncertainty in recent weeks.

“We obviously have a unique situation right now,” said Montreal goalkeeper Carey Price. “The NHL and NHLPA are trying to get the best out of a very difficult situation. I would like to play in the future, but we have many questions that need to be answered and many scenarios that need to be addressed. “

If the protocols and a CBA extension cover these scenarios for enough owners and players, there’s a way forward to distribute the Stanley Cup. The cup has not been awarded twice since 1893: 1919, when the final could not be completed due to the Spanish flu pandemic, and 2005, when the season was wiped out by a lockout.