For those of you still keeping track of such things, today is December 1st.
That means in exactly one month, it will be January 1st. As in, the day the National Hockey League was supposed to drop the puck on the 2021 regular season.
It always seemed a tad optimistic but with so much on the line for players, for Owners and for the league itself, it made sense. The sooner the NHL could resume play, the better. It had to be done safely of course, and while there were minor logistical hurdles to clear, we all sort of assumed the league would find a way.
Yet as we inch closer to that January 1st date, it’s becoming increasingly clear that those minor logistical hurdles have the potential to completely derail the upcoming season before it even starts.
Yesterday, we learned that there have been no serious negotiations between NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr for more than a week.
If that seems completely ridiculous at this stage, that’s because it is.
The league and the owners are looking to make changes to the recently extended CBA, specifically seeking additional concessions from the players that reflect the economic realities of playing a full season without fans. Players understandably have no interest in revisiting that CBA. Unfortunately for the NHLPA, the league has the final say here as they can ultimately decide suspend the season if they don’t get what they want.
If all this is all incredibly infuriating to you, you’re not the only one.
Although perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised, especially when you consider the key figures representing either side of these negotiations. We know they’re both willing to push this thing to the limit and beyond, if they don’t get their way.
That’s not to say the issues at play here aren’t important. Both the owners and the players have some legitimate concerns that need to be heard.
With that said, it’s actually stunning that Bettman and Fehr would let it get to this point. This is not a run-of-the-mill CBA negotiation. Lockouts and lost seasons, which the league has proven to be quite proficient at, are not legitimate options here.
Unlike past years when it was two sides fighting over their share of a growing business, this is about the survival of the league.
Yes, it’s going to be different. And yes, both sides are going to get less than they expected. But like every other business attempting to operate in this evolving context, they just need to find a way. Because like other businesses are sadly finding out all over the world right now, the alternative is pretty grim.
Neither side will admit it publicly but the reality is, pro sports as we know them have changed in the last nine months. Advancements in technology were already forcing leagues to adapt but when you add in the realities of global pandemic, it becomes even more challenging. The idea of packed stadiums seems like a distant memory right now. Getting back there is going to be tough.
At the same time, fans that have been patient with the league before as they bicker over things like escrow and salary deferrals, will not be so forgiving this time around. Pro sports don’t work without fans. And that’s something both players and owners should think long and hard about as this “negotiation” drags on.
There is still plenty of time to make it work.
A mid-January start to a 48-game season is entirely acceptable under the circumstances. It will be strange and again, there will be details that need to be sorted out along the way, but at least we’ll have hockey again.
Figure it out, fellas.
The next time we hear the names of Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr, it should be the two of them announcing details of a new season.
-Looking for your hockey fix and those Roby Järventie clips aren’t quite cutting it? Well good news as Ottawa’s NCAA farm team starts their season tomorrow night. The number one ranked North Dakota Fighting Hawks- featuring the likes of Jake Sanderson, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Shane Pinto and Tyler Kleven- open their season vs, Miami. Puck drops at 3:35 PM. Keep an eye out for the Game Day post.
