Gary Bettman Selected to be on Presidential Advising Sports Committee

Here we are, just over a month since the NHL paused its season on March 12th.  On Tuesday, Bettman was selected to be part of a committee who will be speaking with President Trump, in regards to re opening the economy.

The following day, he was asked by FOX Business Network what his thoughts were, “My guess at this point is, we’re probably going to be playing into the summer, which is something that we can certainly do…”

All of his responses were open ended, and it didn’t seem that he has any concrete ideas or dates for possible outcomes.

Player Opinions on Completing Regular Season vs Going Straight to Playoffs

Several big name guys have voiced their opinions, and a couple that stick out are Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.  Both superstars said they were fine with the NHL going straight to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

However, Connor McDavid believes that a full season would be the most “fair,” and that the complete season would be what they’d, “obviously prefer.”  This is interesting to note, as the Oilers are in a playoff spot, and not lobbying for a position. In a more extended quote he said:

“I don’t think we can just step into playoffs, Game 1, Calgary comes to Edmonton, and guys are just running around killing each other and haven’t played a game in two months…We want to keep guys healthy and we want to make sure everyone’s up and ready to play some playoff hockey.”

Afterthoughts

If the NHL thinks that the players are not at extremely high risk of injury by going straight into Game One of the playoffs, they’re in for a rude awakening.  At the same time, you have to consider next season.

If the league decided to go to into the summer and finish the season, before the playoffs, how far back would next season need to be pushed?  Players safety has to continue to be the number one priority right now, and the offseason is greatly needed for rest and, unfortunately, surgery for many players.

As of right now, it doesn’t appear any quick decisions are going to be made.  For now, enjoy this condensed version of the 2020 Winter Classic: