The Ditch part deux

And happy Easter to all ditch dwellers.

 

Versteeg retires from professional hockey
Forward, two-time Cup winner with Blackhawks, played 11 seasons in NHL

The 33-year-old forward, who last played in the NHL with the Calgary Flames in 2018, won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010 and 2015. He had 358 points (149 goals, 209 assists) in 643 games with the Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings and Flames. Versteeg had 48 points (18 goals, 30 assists) in 93 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

"What a run it was," Versteeg said in a statement released by the NHL Players' Association. "A kid from North Lethbridge (Alberta) who played on the streets every day, dreaming of playing in the NHL. I took a lot for granted in my time in the NHL, but the one thing I never took for granted were the relationships I made with my teammates and staff of the hockey clubs I played for."

nhl.com

 

NHL exploring all options for resumption of season, Bettman says
Commissioner reviewing ideas but safety of public is most important factor before returning to play

The NHL continues to explore all options for resuming the season while waiting for clearance from authorities, after pausing the season March 12 because of concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.

"When we'll have an opportunity to return depends on things that we have absolutely no control over, because it all starts with everybody's health and well-being," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told CNN on Monday.

"And until there's a sense that people can get together, not just to fill our arenas but even our players to get together to work out, we don't know when we can come back.

"But it's something we're monitoring on a daily basis."

The NHL had asked players to self-quarantine through Wednesday, but on Tuesday, that was extended through April 30.

Commissioner Bettman told CNN the NHL and the NHL Players' Association had discussed how long players would need to prepare for the resumption of the season.

"As much as you may try to stay in shape with a home gym, our guys haven't been on the ice now for a month, and they're going to need 2-3 weeks to get back into playing shape," he said.

"So as much as we may worry about keeping everybody, not just our players or the NHL family, but everybody, safe from the coronavirus, we also want to make sure that our players don't jeopardize their health by coming back too soon and not being in game shape."

Asked about playing games without fans or at neutral sites, Commissioner Bettman said the NHL had to be ready for anything, even if some scenarios ultimately turned out to be unrealistic.

"We're exploring and want to be prepared for every option whenever the circumstances present themselves," he said. "So we haven't ruled anything in, we haven't ruled anything out, and we'll be prepared to go in whatever direction makes sense at the time."

Commissioner Bettman said the call President Donald Trump held with sports leaders April 4 was very constructive.

"We all expressed a desire to get sports back," he said. "It's something that for the psyche of the American, and in my case the Canadian, public is very important. Sports can be part of bringing people together, can be part of healing.

"But we all agreed that until it's the right time, there are other more pressing issues than when we come back, and again, everything starts with people's health and well-being."

NHL.com

 

What do you guys think the league should do if they come back this season?
I’m thinking a 2 week training camp with a scrimmage or two mixed in. Then you have a few games to even the number of games played between all of the teams. Some teams have played 68, some 71. If necessary have the first two playoff rounds best of 5. Then Conference Final and Cup Final back to best of 7.

 

I think they need to at least get to 76 games.

 

Agreed

 

Im liking this idea. Get a few scrimmage games in during a 2 week period of Camp and then, full steam ahead. These guys take real good care of themselves (usually) and I don't think they would need much to get ready.

Try to even it up at 76 games, as you guys have suggested, then let the second season begin.

 

NHL must be flexible to resume play, Bettman says
Commissioner maintains safety of players, public, paramount before return to ice

The NHL is focused on being as agile and flexible as possible in all aspects so it can be ready to resume the season after pausing it March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.

"My guess at this point is, we're probably going to be playing into the summer, which is something that we can certainly do," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told FOX Business Network on Wednesday.

Commissioner Bettman will be part of a committee of sports leaders advising President Donald Trump about the reopening of the U.S. economy, Trump announced Tuesday.

"We need to get our sports back," Trump said.

Commissioner Bettman, who was scheduled to participate in a conference call with the president on Wednesday, outlined the steps needed to bring back the NHL in an interview on "Mornings with Maria," hosted by Maria Bartiromo.

"First and foremost, from our standpoint, we think people need to feel safe, and we don't want to put anybody's health at risk," the Commissioner said. "And that applies to our players, all the personnel who put on a game, and ultimately fans.

"So part of this is going to be a determination as to how to best understand when it's safe to go outside."

The NHL extended its self-quarantine period for players and staff through April 30.

The League has been looking at various forms of testing. Commissioner Bettman said it must have the appropriate medical protocols in place, especially with players now spread across North America and Europe.

"When we decide it's time to play, we've got to get everybody back and be comfortable that not only are we not only infecting the population of players, but that we're not bringing the coronavirus from other places into jurisdictions where the players and other personnel are going," the Commissioner said.

Commissioner Bettman said after speaking to players and the NHL Players' Association, the League knows players will need 2-3 weeks to get into game shape. They have not had access to team facilities to work out, or to ice to skate.

"Our health and safety concerns are first and foremost [related to the virus], and secondly, we don't want our players risking injury prematurely," the Commissioner said.

The Commissioner said the NHL has been exploring the possibility of neutral sites for games because the effect of the coronavirus might differ by location, and that might be the safest, most efficient alternative.

When the season was paused, the 31 teams had played from 68-71 games of the 82-game regular season and all but one team were contending for berths in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"Our competitive balance is so extraordinary, there are seven, at least, seven teams that were on the bubble of making the playoffs," Commissioner Bettman said, "and not all the teams have played the same number of games.

"Whenever we do to come back -- and this is where I'm talking about being agile and flexible -- we're going to have to do something, whether it's complete the regular season in whole or in part, whether or not it's expanded playoffs, we're going to have to do something that's fair and has integrity.

"That's going to be very important no matter what it is we do, and we're considering all of the alternatives, and nothing has been ruled in, and nothing has been ruled out."

NHL.com

 

This is important to maintain the fairness of the situation or there really is no reason to resume the Regular season... may as well just go straight into the playoffs.

 

Byfuglien, Jets agree to terminate contract
Defenseman, granted leave of absence Sept. 12, becomes unrestricted free agent

Byfuglien, who had ankle surgery in October, was in the fourth season of a five-year con

Dustin Byfuglien and the Winnipeg Jets mutually agreed to terminate the defenseman's contract Friday.​

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The move means Byfuglien is an unrestricted free agent, but it's not known if the 35-year-old has any desire to play in the NHL.​

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"Every player is different," Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said. "What goes into the mental preparation, what goes into the physical preparation of all these players for the rigors of a National Hockey League season is different. He's a family man; there's lots of sacrifices players have to make when their kids are young and different things like that that do weigh on them. Dustin played the game, and a lot of times played it on his own terms. This situation here, he did things on his own terms again."​

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Byfuglien asked the Jets for and was granted a leave of absence Sept. 12 and was reported to be considering retiring. He was suspended by the Jets on Sept. 20 for failing to report to training camp and missed the first 71 games of the regular season, which was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.​

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"On Sept. 11 the conversation and the intent was that he had lost the desire ​

tract with an annual average value of $7.6 million he signed Feb. 8, 2016.

Cheveldayoff said he considered trading Byfuglien before the NHL Trade Deadline on Feb. 24, but the defenseman said he did not have interest in playing elsewhere.

"Wasn't so much we decided we wanted to go in different directions, it was more just trying to see if this was about a trade," Cheveldayoff said. "I did ask Dustin that question back on Sept. 11, I asked him even again in October when we met. It was never about a trade. One last-ditch attempt before the trade deadline to see, 'Is it about a trade, do you want to go play somewhere else if I can make something happen here?' And it wasn't a situation where he said, 'I'll go here if you can trade me there.' It was, 'No, I'm content where I'm at.'"

The Jets will be able to use Byfuglien's salary cap charge this season and next season for other players.

Winnipeg (37-28-6) holds the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference, two points ahead of the Nashville Predators and Vancouver Canucks. The Jets are in fourth place in the Central Division, two points behind the Dallas Stars for third.

Byfuglien's skill, mobility and physical play made him the Jets' most popular player almost instantly after the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg before the 2011-12 season. Byfuglien scored 363 points (102 goals, 261 assists) in 528 games for the Jets.

NHL.com

 

he's gotta be 300+lbs by now

 

NHL season resuming will be right thing to do, Guerin says
Wild general manager confident about return, preparing for all scenarios

Bill Guerin said he believes the NHL season will resume, potentially in empty arenas, after it was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.

"I think it does," the Minnesota Wild general manager told their website Monday. "The bottom line is, we're not doing anything unless it's safe for everybody. And if it is, I think we will, and I think it would be the right thing to do. It'll be a little unusual, a little unorthodox, but that's OK. If we just wrap our arms around it and accept it, it will be fine. Once we start playing hockey, you play hockey."

The NHL is exploring all options while waiting for clearance from authorities to resume the season. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told CNN on April 14 that players will need 2-3 weeks to get back into playing shape.

"I think the teams that come back in the best condition, and not just physically, but the best mental condition, are [going to] have an advantage and be ready to go," Guerin said.

One of those scenarios is playing games in empty arenas, which Guerin said he thinks is a real possibility.

"No doubt it will be different and there will be some adjusting that needs to be done mentally, but that's [going to] be what it is," Guerin said. "At the start, we'll just have to get used to it. We'll have to be mentally ready for everything. That's OK. If we sit here and complain about it or be negative about it, it won't be good for us, we'll just be doing ourselves more harm. If we get back to playing in empty buildings or at a neutral site, great, so be it. Let's just do it and see where we go.

"We're ready for anything, but it's really hard to put a plan in place when this is such a moving target."

The Wild (35-27-7) trail the Nashville Predators and Vancouver Canucks by one point for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference after starting the season 1-6-0. Bruce Boudreau was fired as coach and replaced by assistant Dean Evason on Feb. 14, and Minnesota responded by winning eight of 12 games before the pause (8-4-0). Since the coaching change, the Wild are third in the NHL at 3.58 goals per game and fourth on the penalty kill at 91.2 percent (31-for-34).

"This has been the most bizarre year I think I can ever remember," said Guerin, who replaced Paul Fenton as Wild GM on Aug. 21. "And hey, look, the only thing that makes it bad is that there is this crazy virus going around. Everything else has been good. I'm disappointed we're not playing hockey right now, but what are you going to do?

"This is one of those things, you can't let it eat you up. You just have to embrace it, realize that this is reality right now and move on."

NHL.com
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Get er done, already!

 

Per, Bettman...

"Ideally from our standpoint -- and it would resolve a lot of issues -- would be if we could complete the regular season, even if it's on a centralized basis, and then go into the [Stanley Cup Playoffs] the way we normally play them.

"That would be ideal. But that's, again, one of the numerous models we're looking at, and if we can't do ideal, if we can't do perfect, we're going to have to figure out what's next to perfect."

The NHL has decided against playing in non-NHL arenas at neutral sites because League arenas are best equipped to handle its needs if it decides to centralize games.

"We can't play in a small college rink in the middle of a smaller community, because if we're going to be centralized, we need the back of the house that NHL arenas provide, whether it's multiple locker rooms, whether it's the technology, the procedures, the boards and glass, the video replay, the broadcasting facilities," Commissioner Bettman said.

The NHL would need four NHL-caliber locker rooms in each arena, because if it plays three games per day in one arena, it would need to use appropriate sanitizing procedures as teams move in and out, the Commissioner said.

Commissioner Bettman stressed the number of cities and the locations have not been decided. The NHL is modeling to make sure it is prepared for any eventuality.

"Maybe it'll be two cities," the Commissioner said. "It's not something that we can predict right at this moment. But this is part of the contingencies. It doesn't necessarily have to be by division, although the centralization may be by division.

"But the particular location could be anywhere that isn't a hot spot and has what we need both in terms of the arena and having practice facilities, because if you bring in seven or eight clubs to a particular facility and you're playing lots of games on a regular basis without travel, there does need to be ice for practice."

The NHL has recommended players and staff self-quarantine through April 30. The first step toward resuming the season would be for players to work out at team facilities. The next step would be a training camp, which Commissioner Bettman said, based on a conversation with players and the NHL Players' Association, would need to be at least three weeks.

Commissioner Bettman said the NHL felt no pressure to be the first major North American sports league to resume its season.

"This isn't a race," the Commissioner said. "The stakes are too important. … While some of them may have been able to work out in terms of physical strength over the last few weeks, the fact is, none of our guys really have been on skates. We're going to have to make sure that they're in game-ready condition, because we don't want to put them on the ice and risk injury and their careers. So we're going to need time to come back right, and when we come back, it'll be having done the right things."

 

NHL pleased with talks about season restart scenarios, Commissioner says
'Extraordinarily collaborative' discussions with NHLPA continue, no timeline for return to play

The NHL and the NHL Players' Association have been in constant communication as they consider scenarios for resuming the season, which was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman speaks to NHLPA executive director Don Fehr regularly. The League and the Players' Association have formed a Return to Play Committee that includes executives and players.

"Having the committee that's been put together with the players is important so that we can get the feedback on the issues that are important to them and how to resolve them, and that we can be communicating how we're focusing on the things we think that need to be done," Commissioner Bettman told NHL Network on Thursday. "It's been extraordinarily collaborative, constructive and cooperative, and I couldn't be more pleased with the interaction that we're having."

Following a virtual committee meeting Wednesday, the NHL and the NHLPA released a joint statement saying they had not made any decisions or set a timeline regarding possible return-to-play scenarios.

"I don't think anybody knows for certain," the Commissioner said Thursday when asked how close the NHL was to resuming the season. "We're going to have to take things one step at a time, because the health and well-being of our players is paramount to anything we're focused on."

The joint statement said that if conditions continue to trend favorably -- subject to potential competitive concerns between disparately situated markets -- the NHL and the NHLPA believe they might be able to allow small group activities in NHL training facilities at some point in the mid-to-later portion of May.

But it said the precise date remained undetermined, and in the meantime, players and staff are expected to continue following the recommendation to self-quarantine that has been in place since the pause began.

"We'd like to be able to get our training facilities open," Commissioner Bettman said Thursday. "We'd like our guys to be able to work themselves back into shape. But this is something we're going to continue to evaluate on a day-to-day basis.

"Our health concerns for the players really fit into two categories: One is obviously COVID-19, and two, whatever we're going to do, we don't want them playing games until they're back in game shape.

"So we're going to continue to monitor things, and when the guidance from the medical people is right and the governmental authorities are comfortable, then we'll take step one, which is reopening our training facilities."

The Commissioner said the NHL and the NHLPA would remain patient not only about resuming this season but starting next season.

"We have a great deal of flexibility in terms of when we can start," Commissioner Bettman said. "There's no magic for next season of starting in October as we traditionally do. If we have to start in November or December, that's something that will be under consideration.

"We're going to try and make good, prudent, careful judgments. This isn't a race to be first back. When we come back, we want it to be at the right time, for the right reasons, under the right circumstances."

Commissioner Bettman said the pandemic dwarfs everything the NHL and the NHLPA are considering.

"We miss the game," the Commissioner said. "We miss our fans. We miss watching our players play every night. We'd be in the middle of the [Stanley Cup Playoffs] right now. We're focused on trying to do the right things for the good of the game, so we can get back and connect with our great fans as soon as possible.

"But as soon as possible means under the right circumstances, and for that we're going to take our guidance from the governments at all levels and from the medical people."

NHL.com

 

^ she made the beard and clouds disappear at the same time!
looks like Jumbo had some sort of procedure on his wrist/thumb.

 

Just wanted to share my response to an NFL post here, since I realize it's very pertinent to the NHL. Some others here might've read the article I reference with the Athletic.

"This was the same larger sentiment shared by NHL players, in a report from the Athletic yesterday (I don't want to share a paid article here verbatim).

Most NHL players said they'd want to resume the season with a few regular season games, then go playoffs. However, the majority of players interviewed were from teams on the bubble of making the playoffs, incentivizing that response. Moreover, all players have the incentive of postseason paychecks pushing that answer, as well.

When actually drilling down on the answers the players gave, they all added caveats to their responses - all in the same line as the NFL player above. "We'd like to play, but only if they can make sure it's safe". There were no players willing to go back and play without assurances that they, their teammates, family, etc wouldn't get sick. Some even went into the costs of everything, speculating on how a limited restart with strict isolation measures would be a fiscally poor decision. Hotels to isolate, flying people / teams around, stadiums operating without fan income, etc.

It seems that, no matter how much massaging these owners want to do, the situation is the same as it was two months ago - the players have the ability to refuse to play under new and unique arrangements, and since the leagues can't guarantee them that they will be safe, it's a hard argument to make."

 

Seems unlikely but I love the idea of having a tournament style postseason played in more isolated areas like North Dakota and Saskatoon. Pretty sure this already got shot down but its a fun what if.

 

It is a fun "what if". And it's probably a better way to do it than a few thrown together regular season games to lead into the postseason (who would play each other? Why would the non-bubble teams even play? A tourney-style postseason is just a better idea, fundamentally).

The NHL keeps saying that they intend to finish this season, but I just don't think they can. I don't know whether it's them just doing PR, or if someone upstairs has an unrealistically optimistic view of this issue. But either way, their weekly "We'll finish the season soon, but later than we thought last week!" press release is getting old.

The only thing I hope, above all else, is that this doesn't compromise next season. The players said that, as well. The common response was, "If this season ends in October, and the next one starts in November, how are our bodies supposed to be ready for a full season? We just don't want to mess up next year". And I 100% agree with that - would rather lose this one than get two screwed up, asterisk years.

What does the L4SN board think?? I'm eager to hear how everyone here honestly feels - no punches pulled. I don't really get good hockey talk anywhere else, so eager to hear what you all think!

 

I agree with your post/assessment. Ive been hearing for nearly 2 months, its just a 'pause'. But, as the clock keeps ticking, the hope they instilled on me is just about 100% depleted right now. If they are going to resume the season, it better be real soon, but at the same time, health and well-being is even more important.

Im having my doubts about a good conclusion to this NHL season and the depression is real. I miss the game big time, but as you mentioned, things now can not effect the '20/21 season... its just too much to sustain both as it stands right now, in my opinion.