The possibility of summer hockey is coming more into focus as the NHL tries to salvage its 2019-20 season. There is much to be worked out, and maybe nothing ultimately will come of it.
But a scenario described last week by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman seems to have legs.
"We're hopeful," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong told the Post-Dispatch. "You plan for the best. And the best is to play. It gives us something to work forward to. There's no harm in preparing to play, I know that."
The latest _ let's call it "possibility" _ calls for four pod cities hosting games, all NHL cities, as opposed to previous discussion about using arenas in non-NHL locales such as North Dakota and New Hampshire.
There would be eight teams playing in three of those cities and seven in a fourth _ comprising the 31 NHL teams. There would be no fans in attendance. The players and team officials would be lodged in nearby hotels.
Three games would be played per day in those four arenas to complete the regular season.
"I think based on what the commissioner has said, if we come back and play, the likelihood of playing in front of fans is limited," Armstrong said. "And if that's the case, it's safer for everyone to be in fewer locations than having 31 teams flying all across the country, or all across the continent _ two countries."
One early assumption is that teams in each pod city would be grouped by division. With the Central Division teams assembled in one city, the Pacific teams in another, and so on. But that's not a certainty.
Scheduling games in a fair manner will be a headache. Each NHL team had between 11 and 14 games remaining to complete the 82-game regular season when play was suspended March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Blues have 11 games left _ and of those 11, seven are against Eastern Conference teams, two against Pacific teams, and only two against Central foes (Minnesota and Colorado). The Blues wouldn't play those 11 opponents _ or at least not most of them _ under the pod format.
"Whatever format they come up with is (simply) to play games," Armstrong said. "You can't look at it as what would've happened. That ship has sailed.
"You just travel to one city and play all your games. My understanding is they're gonna put you in a pod, and you're just gonna play those teams exclusively."
Obviously, all sorts of things must be hashed out to make this happen in terms of the health and safety of players, coaches, team equipment and training staffs. Who else would be allowed in the arenas? What kind of quarantine and social-distancing policies will be put in place at team hotels?
And of course nothing happens without approval from local governments and the medical/science community.
"It's a monumental task to even pull this off. That's why they're getting an early start on it," Armstrong said.
The presumption is that these regular-season games would start in July.
"There's a lot of hoops they gotta jump through testing-wise, making sure every day the tests are done," Armstrong said. "You're doing it in front of no fans because you want to have the greatest likelihood of no one getting sick."
