NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 6, 2020

by | Dec 6, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 6, 2020

​An update on negotiations for starting the 2020-21 season, the stalemate over escrow and salary deferrals, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun took to Twitter last night reporting some communication between the NHL and NHL Players’ Association but “nothing big to relay.” He feels this week will be important if the two sides hope to open the 2020-21 season by mid-January.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy recently cited usually pessimistic player agent Alan Walsh telling TSN 690 Montreal he’s “99.99999 percent sure we are playing hockey this year.”

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reports sources are saying an alternate plan involving a 48-game schedule beginning Feb. 1 appears the more likely option.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some might consider talk of staging the season during a pandemic as wishful thinking. Nevertheless, the league and the PA are determined to pull this off because both sides need whatever revenue they can get. They also don’t want to disappear from the sports calendar while other pro leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB) press on with their seasons.

There appears to be significant movement between the two sides in recent days toward agreement on a truncated regular-season schedule ending in early May at the latest, with the Stanley Cup awarded between late June and early July. The only hurdles are the course of the pandemic and sorting out the impasse over player salaries between the league and the PA. Speaking of which…

Brooks believes NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is right when he suggested last week it would be better if the players gave back more money to the owners this season rather than having escrow debt explode in the latter years of the CBA. Nevertheless, he still feels Bettman was out of line attempting to change the terms of the CBA regarding escrow caps and salary deferrals despite his insistence he wasn’t trying to renegotiate the deal.

Bettman is also facing heat by the owners after they were left mostly uninformed over the terms of the CBA extension and given little time to review the details before it was put to a vote. A half-dozen teams don’t want to play this season unless the players agree to those requested changes to escrow and salary deferrals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The worst-case scenario was taken into account during negotiations on the CBA extension. Both sides must deal with the consequences.

The players are within their rights to reject the league’s requests. However, refusing to pay back more this season means potentially facing hundreds of millions of escrow debt to the owners down the road if hockey-related revenue is slow to return to pre-pandemic levels.

Recent media speculation suggests the players won’t agree to a hike in the escrow rate but could bend on the salary deferrals if they get something back from the league. Perhaps we’ll see some progress on that front by the end of this week.

THE WASHINGTON POST: Scientists are studying why there have been more cases of COVID-19 outbreaks in hockey than in other youth sports. They’re hoping to find clues about the ideal conditions in which the coronavirus thrives and how to stop it. There’s speculation the virus could be trapped around head level due to rinks that by design restrict airflow, temperature and humidity.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL was able to prevent any coronavirus spread among its players during the 2020 playoffs due to rigorous testing of players and staff and regular cleaning of its facilities. Nevertheless, results from those studies of youth hockey could benefit the sport at every level during this pandemic.

NBC SPORTS: Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow has joined the ownership group of the Jacksonville Icemen, the ECHL affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets and the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 5, 2020

by | Dec 5, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 5, 2020

​NHL aims to start the season on Jan. 15 plus the latest on James van Riemsdyk, Mats Zuccarello and more in today’s morning coffee headlines.

TSN’s Frank Seravalli, THE ATHLETIC’s Pierre LeBrun and SPORTSNET’S Elliotte Friedman and Chris Johnston reported the NHL and NHLPA are making progress toward a possible 56-game schedule commencing around Jan. 15.

Johnston indicated talks between the two sides stretched through Thursday night into Friday morning. They discussed 52- and 56-games schedules but both sides prefer the latter. The planning includes a seven-team Canadian division and eight-team U.S. Divisions. He described the tenure of the talks as “good”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jan. 1 start date was no longer possible after discussions broke down over the league’s requests for increased escrow and salary-deferral rates. A mid-January start date is more sensible, providing time for players to return to their NHL cities. A longer regular-season increases the possibility of staging games with fans in attendance later in the schedule.

Training camps for most clubs could begin as early as Jan. 2. Last season’s seven non-playoff clubs could have a voluntary seven-day pre-camp opening in late December, though a source told LeBrun that’s not a 100 percent certainty.

Friedman indicates those pre-camps could begin on Dec. 28. He also said it’s possible there might not be exhibition games before the regular season begins. The players were told to prepare for a Jan. 15 puck drop while some teams were told they could receive more information over the next several days.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those non-playoff clubs last took the ice back in March. It believed the league promised them an additional week of training camp. They’ll likely get those extra days, though they might not add up to a full week.

Both sides acknowledge the course of the pandemic could push that mid-January start toward February. Sources told LeBrun the league wants to complete the season by early July ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics. Friedman said the plan is to end the regular season on May 1, allowing room to make up potentially postponed games, with the Stanley Cup awarded between June 30 and July 7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: While most NHL fans were pleased to see the completion of the 2020 playoffs, no one wants another postseason running through the summer. The league also doesn’t want the Stanley Cup Final being overshadowed by the Summer Olympics.

The NHL hopes to stage a normal season for 2021-22. They’re still planning to send players to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and must incorporate a two-week break into the ’21-’22 schedule.

Given the current course of the pandemic, Johnston said the possibility of starting the season in bubbles (hub cities) is still on the table. The preference of the owners and players is to play in their home arenas but that might not be possible given the rising COVID numbers in North America and the ramping up of restrictions in some areas.

Friedman suggests the first couple of weeks of the season could see teams playing in hub cities, moving back to all NHL cities over the course of the season. He wouldn’t be shocked, for example, if the San Jose Sharks began the season playing in Arizona because of the health restrictions in Santa Clara County, California, where the Sharks’ home arena is located.

What wasn’t discussed was the stalemate between the league and the NHLPA over player salaries. Friedman said it sounds like the league’s request to increase escrow payments could be taken off the table because the players won’t agree to that. However, he indicated they are potentially more willing to talk about salary deferrals. LeBrun speculated the players might agree to a lower deferral rate but feels they’ll want something from the league in return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The players won’t agree to increase the escrow rate because that’s money they won’t get back. While they probably aren’t happy about raising the deferred salary rate, that money will be returned in equal installments over the final three years of the CBA extension.

What they’ll want in return from the league remains to be seen. Theories pitches by several pundits suggest including interest in those deferred payments, expanding the playoffs from 16 to 20 teams, or increased post-playing career benefits for retired players.

PHILLY.COM: Flyers winger James van Riemsdyk said the players are “ready to roll” if the team owners honor the collective bargaining agreement. As the Flyers NHLPA player rep, van Riemsdyk said multiple scenarios regarding the amount of revenue that could be created this season was taken into account when the extension to the CBA was negotiated.

“As players, we’re ready to roll and ready to play and uphold the agreement,” said van Riemsdyk. “We’re just waiting to hear from the owners, but we’re ready to get started.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: van Riemsdyk’s comments appeared the day before the recent reports on a 56-game schedule commencing Jan. 15. We’ll learn in the coming days if the PA will bend or stand firm.

SPORTSNET: Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello could miss the start of the season and be sidelined for a while following surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right arm a few weeks ago. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reported it’s the same arm he broke two seasons ago playing for the Dallas Stars. He played with that discomfort for most of last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That could explain the decline in Zuccarello’s production last season.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks have parted ways with long-time anthem singer Mark Donnelly over his plan to sing at an anti-mask rally today in downtown Vancouver.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 4, 2020

by | Dec 4, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 4, 2020

Several teams explore staging outdoor games, the NHLPA examines options if the league cancels the season, plus updates on Alexis Lafreniere and Jack Hughes in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reported the Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, and Pittsburgh Penguins are all exploring the option of staging multiple outdoor games this season.

Could several NHL teams stage games in stadiums like Fenway Park this season?

None of the seven Canadian teams are believed considering that option because of public health restrictions across the country. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers and New York Islanders are among the US-based teams that said no to the league for various reasons.

Appearing on TSN’s Insider Trading segment last night, LeBrun said the league hasn’t officially responded to the outdoor game possibility. The rationale behind outdoor games is it would some physically distanced fans into the stadiums thus generating some much-needed hockey-related revenue. Frank Seravalli believes the cost of COVID-19 testing for the teams involved to stage those games safely would also be a factor.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reported the Kings first proposed the idea several months ago. Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owns the Kings, also owns Dignity Health Sports Park, a stadium that seats 27,000 and is the home of MLS’ Los Angeles Galaxy.

Friedman said the Kings pitched the idea to the Ducks, who were considering making this a joint venture. However, local health restrictions won’t allow the clubs to commit to the plan at this time. The Bruins, meanwhile, are looking at different options (including Fenway Park) while the Penguins have considered Heinz Park and PNC Park.

Significant hurdles, however, could impede this idea. It could cost millions to stage those games in outdoor venues. Approval would also be required by the players and opposing teams.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Friedman pointed out NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly last month suggesting outdoor games would be unlikely because of the associated costs. That would include those cited by LeBrun, Seravalli and Friedman. Health and safety protocols in each city provide an extra measure of difficulty, especially with COVID cases rising throughout most of North America.

I don’t expect to see any outdoor games because of the obstacle involved in holding those events. We currently don’t know if the 2020-21 season will be staged, let alone what the schedule will look like and what format it could take, but it probably won’t involve outdoor contests.

TSN: Rick Westhead reports two sources claimed the NHL Players Association is considering its options if the league cancels the 2020-21 season. Its’ lawyers are investigating whether to file an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board in the United States (NLRB) or file a grievance with an arbitrator to ensure the players get paid. The PA declined to comment on how it would respond to a canceled season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This stems from the current uncertainty over the start of the season because of the impasse between the PA and the league over the latter’s recent request for higher escrow and deferred salary rates. While the union seems to be preparing for any possibility, this appears to be a precautionary measure rather than an indication the season is doomed.

PA Executive Director Donald Fehr and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman have resumed daily discussions. Players are returning to their NHL cities in anticipation of training camps starting up in the coming weeks. Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell yesterday said he expects a resolution in the next few days regarding the salary issues and the number of games this season.

Things could still go sideways. Talks between the league and PA could fall through, leading to a protracted labor squabble that drags throughout 2021. The course of the pandemic could make it impossible to stage a season of reasonable length. Nevertheless, most league and PA insiders believe the salary stalemate will be sorted out and a season will be held.

THE SCORE: The New York Rangers won’t release Alexis Lafreniere to play for Team Canada at the upcoming World Junior Championship. The New Jersey Devils also did the same with Jack Hughes, who played in the 2019 tournament.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The two clubs prefer to have their promising youngsters ready for the NHL season whenever it begins.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 3, 2020

by | Dec 3, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 3, 2020

League commissioner Gary Bettman talks about efforts to start the 2020-21 season, a look at how the league could change coming out of the pandemic, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

SPORTSNET: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league’s target date of Jan. 1 to open the 2020-21 season remains a “work in progress influenced largely by what we’re hearing from the medical experts.” He made the remarks at the Sports Business Journal’s “Dealmakers in Sport” panel on Wednesday.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman (NHL.com).

Bettman insisted the NHL remains focused on health and safety, adding the league is taking its time evaluating ways to move forward with the season. He’s hopeful a widespread vaccine distribution will enable the league to return to normal for 2021-22.

The commissioner also addressed the recent stalemate with the NHLPA over the league’s request for increased escrow and salary deferral rates that have stalled return-to-play negotiations. He doesn’t view it as renegotiating the CBA extension but merely addressing how the division of hockey-related revenue will be affected by the pandemic.

Chris Johnston reports Bettman said there’s been no ultimatum made to the NHLPA, claiming it’s unfair to characterize his discussions with the union as a renegotiation. “We made a number of assumptions collectively over the summer, most of which are not applicable anymore,” said the commissioner. “ There are a lot of things we have to deal with if we’re going to return to play.”

Johnston also notes Bettman pointing out the 50-50 split of hockey-related revenue contained in the CBA. The commissioner said if the players end up getting overpaid they’ll have to repay the overage to the league over time if they don’t repay in the short term. He adds the two sides have had discussed the stresses on the system and how to navigate them, insisting the league is trying to find ways to continue working together.

“I know it’s being portrayed as something else and it’s unfortunate and it’s inaccurate because at the end of the day if the system gets stressed it’s going to get stressed for the both of us,” said Bettman.

The commissioner also said the league is willing to shorten training camps and play one or two exhibition games before the season begins.

TSN: Frank Seravalli reports the NHLPA declined to comment yesterday on Bettman’s remarks. While the commissioner suggested the players could end up owing the league “more money than anyone imagined,” Seravalli cites sources saying the best, moderate, and worst-case scenarios were all fully modeled for both sides during the CBA extension negotiations.

Seravalli believes Bettman was also sending an unsubtle message to the players that the longer their potential debt to the league lingers, the lower future salary caps will be, in turn limiting their future earnings.

Asked if the current impasse might kill the 2020-21 season, Bettman said there are letters in the CBA put in for “our benefit” if things got out of control, “so we each have rights which we can adhere to.”

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun believes Bettman is feeling pressure from some owners to alleviate cash concerns for the coming season. That explains why the commissioner made his recent requests for changes to the escrow and deferral rates.

While the players could stay resolute and call Bettman’s bluff, LeBrun believes they could instead accept increased salary deferral (though not at the league’s proposed rate) in exchange for something in return.

LeBrun also feels the course of the pandemic is becoming a greater obstacle to starting the season. He feels the prudent move for the league and PA is to give up on a Jan. 1 start and instead go for puck drop on Feb. 1 in the hope there’s a downturn in COVID-19 cases by then.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The players have every right to be upset over the league’s attempt to change those rates that were agreed upon in the CBA extension. While Bettman is correct that things have changed since the extension was ratified, he went into that agreement knowing what the worst-case scenario would be. He either didn’t really understand how serious it would be (doubtful) or he didn’t believe the worst-case would happen (plausible).

As Bettman noted, the CBA stipulates a 50-50 split of hockey-related revenue. The PA’s likely argument, as reported by the New York Post’s Larry Brooks, is the assurance of the 50-50 split has been undone by the artificial caps on escrow combined with unlinking the salary cap from actual hockey-related revenue for the short term.

I don’t see the league agreeing with that argument. Bettman made that clear with his remarks about the players paying back the potential overage for this season.

Recent reports indicate Bettman and NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr resumed daily discussions. I agree with LeBrun’s take that the players will likely accept an increase in salary deferral in exchange for something from the league.

My question is why Bettman didn’t make that pitch when he made his initial proposal? He had to know what the players’ reaction would be. Perhaps negotiations wouldn’t have stalled if he’d simply included a sweetener (like interest on the salary deferral) with his proposals. The commissioner either misjudged how the players would react or simply didn’t care.

SPORTSNET: Ads on jerseys, expanded playoffs, player-specific sponsorship and embracing gambling are four possible changes we could see in the NHL coming out of the pandemic.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL will be getting a lucrative new US television contract at the end of this season and the additional hockey-related revenue from the expansion Seattle Kraken. Nevertheless, the pandemic’s effects upon revenue in the short term could force the league to seek new sources of revenue once the pandemic has passed.

FORBES.COM: Sports lawyer Eric Macramalla explains why an NHL lockout isn’t possible despite the intensified haggling over players’ salaries. The CBA prevents the league from locking out the players during the course of the agreement. It also prevents the players from going on strike. The league could suspend the season citing the pandemic as an event beyond its control but could have a difficult time justifying that if the PA took the league to court. Macramalla feels the current dispute can be settled because both sides have a vested interest in playing the coming season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Agreed. The pandemic is a greater factor in determining the start of the season.

 










NHL Free Agents Still Playing The Waiting Game

by | Dec 2, 2020

NHL Free Agents Still Playing The Waiting Game

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 2, 2020

by | Dec 2, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 2, 2020

The standoff continues between the league and the players as speculation persists over what the 2020-21 season will look like. Details and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

TSN: Darren Dreger reports of speculation of the NHL owners canceling season if they decide they can’t go in 2020-21. The NHLPA could challenge that move in federal court as an illegal lockout but Dreger said force majeure (unforeseeable circumstances preventing the fulfillment of a contract; in this case, the collective bargaining agreement) would be applied by the owners because of the pandemic. He also said the league believes the spirit of the existing agreement provides them with cancellation protection. The owners also wouldn’t have to pay the players. However, Dreger points out neither side wants to cancel the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Player agent Allan Walsh took to Twitter yesterday disputing the force majeure idea. He claims if the owners cancel the season because the players won’t give another $300 million in concessions that it would be considered a lockout, “which is expressly prohibited by CBA article 7.1 (b).” In Walsh’s opinion, that would leave the owners at risk of facing billions of dollars in potential damages if the PA took them to court.

Walsh accused the league of soft-pedaling force majeure to the media. Maybe the owners are trying to frighten the players into making more concessions. Perhaps it’s being done to lay the groundwork against any potential media/fan backlash over a potential cancellation.

With reports claiming the NHL and the PA remain determined to stage a season, this could be just posturing by the league. We’ll find out for sure in a couple of months. There might not be a season at all if there’s no puck drop by mid-February.

Pierre LeBrun reports the PA has stuck to its guns that it hasn’t agreed to anything beyond the terms of the memorandum of understanding and the CBA extension. That could change but for now, they believe the league should stick to the terms of the agreement.

LeBrun adds the PA’s return-to-play committee has held regular conference calls but there’s some frustration on their part over a perceived lack of urgency on the league’s part.

Frank Seravalli reports the preference for both sides is opening the season in all 31 NHL arenas for revenue purposes as well as allowing players to spend more time with their families. The league recognizes it will have to be flexible with the schedule and locations because of the rising COVID-19 cases throughout North America, which could result in potential neutral-site games. Hybrid bubbles are also a backup option but not a preferred one.

LeBrun said the temporary realignment of divisions, including a Canadian division, remains locked in. However, a firm decision hasn’t been reached yet over what the three American divisions would look like.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I think most of those issues will be quickly sorted out once the standoff between the NHL and NHLPA over the league’s request for increased escrow and salary deferral rates is resolved. The framework for those decisions appears to already be in place.

FOX SPORTS’ Andy Strickland reports some NHL players are delaying returns to their respective NHL cities. He believes we’re destined for a 48-game schedule hopefully beginning in late January or early February.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s pretty much the consensus among NHL pundits and most fans.

DETROIT FREE PRESS: The Red Wings loaned minor-league goaltender Calvin Pickard to the Vienna Capitals in Austria. He’s the 10th player the Wings have loaned overseas and could be a sign the league’s proposed Jan. 1 start date is increasingly unlikely.

SPORTSNET: The Edmonton Oilers have 20 players loaned to European clubs, including Jesse Puljujarvi and Tyler Benson.

TSN: The ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears announced they’ve agreed to terms with free-agent goaltender Garret Sparks for the remainder of the 2020-21 season. Sparks spent parts of three seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It wasn’t that long ago Sparks was considered the logical backup to Leafs starter Frederik Andersen.

Calgary Flames assistant general manager Chris Snow is in good spirits following surgery on Monday to insert a feeding tube into his stomach. Snow was diagnosed with ALS in June 2019 but continues in his role with the Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Snow in his battle against that terrible disease.

NBC SPORTS: The Dallas Stars revealed their all-white Reverse Retro uniforms over the weekend.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Great camouflage tactic by the Stars.