Honestly though, I think they just should. Just imagine winning the cup, and let's just say it's a team that hasn't won it recently (i.e not a pittsburgh, chicago, washington, st louis, etc). That would be ridiculously anticlimactic. Nobody in the arena, no parade, you can't (or shouldn't) have a big celebration... It would just kind of suck. Ngl, if they do the playoffs and the corona situation is similar to what it is now, I hope the Leafs don't win the cup.

Couldn’t agree more. This is very much uncharted territory, and it’s very much in the best interest of everyone to just get back together in October.

Yeah, I think it is in everyone's best interest. What I said may have sounded a little self-centered, and it kind of was, but if the situation is still as serious as it's projected to be when they hope to resume, it's better for everybody just to cancel it. People's health and safety comes first, and if a team wins a cup for the first time in a while, you can bet your ass some people will throw worry to the wayside.

Says the Hawks fan... shocker.

If the season is cancelled the league looses millions leading to negative revenue for over 50% of league and massive cap drop, thus causing players to have to forfeit a substantial portion of their salaries. If the 2020-21 season is cancelled Florida, Arizona, and probably other teams declare bankruptcy and the league implodes. the new USA TV agreement is in 2022, if the league can't positively increase views and profit by then they will fail to get a better contract and net loose more money.

Sure It doesn't have an effect on you as a fan of Chicago, Toronto, or NYR, but most other teams are left out on the street from this. If you have no understanding of the leagues economics don't make such rash comments

Yeah, I'd really want to watch some hockey right now. 100% agree that it might feel different, but sometimes watching a Cinderella story isnt so bad. I'd do the North Dakota Plan in a heart beat. School's out. It's a very rural town. Just the playoffs. As teams lose they leave campus. I'm just going stir crazy. There are ZERO sports right now and heck if the NHL is 1st...they may even find some new fans.

As a hockey fan I'm honestly more concerned about finishing the regular season in some form then the playoffs, the final regular season standings have implications on the draft and on conditions in some trades.
It's for those reasons I think they really need to find some way to finish the season so they can start the 20-21 season as close to "normal" as possible.

I'm all for the neutral site games with no fans/crowds idea, need to get this finished somehow. If they really feel that they need to award the Stanley Cup this year I think what the league should do is decide upon a shortened season number of games to fast track the completion of the 19-20 season, when play stopped some teams had played 68 games and some as much as 71 so pick an even number higher then 71 games and reset the remainder of the schedule as fairly as possible so every team gets to 72, 74, 76 or whatever number of games and whoever makes the playoffs makes the playoffs.
Make the first two rounds best of 5 series with maybe one back to back game in each series, the conference finals and Cup finals would be best of 7 with no multiple day breaks, at most one day off between games, no two day breaks between games.

So depending on when this got started they'd need to work out some short term contract extensions with players who's deals are expiring on June 30th, some extra insurance might need to be purchased to cover UFA players in case of injury that could potentially happen that might limit their chance of finding a job in free agency but those are details that would need to be figured out by the league and the NHLPA.

The draft and free agency would be delayed, there'd be no trade freeze for non playoff teams, for example if the Wings and LA want to make a trade while the playoffs are happening so be it. Around 4-7 days after the Stanley Cup is won would be the draft and 4-7 days after the draft would be free agency, there's likely a short break of 2-3 weeks and then into a shortened pre-season/training camp and then hopefully starting the 20-21 season at close to the normal time. Teams would likely have their prospects/AHL camps separate with only a few of the actual prospects that have a real chance to make the NHL team at the NHL camp.

Probably the biggest question is how do teams and the league make money without people in the seats if they did play in empty arenas, the only thing I can think of is TV subscriptions for fans to watch the games from home, obviously it'd have to be way less then actual ticket prices but it'd be some kind of revenue, something would have to be worked out with the regular networks who have the contracts with the league but this is uncharted waters for all involved so surely something could be worked out.

Idk, just my thoughts, opinions and ideas on how this season should end.

Don’t take this the wrong way, but actually it says me. No fan identifier, just me. I hate the blues, and would hate to have them be defending champions by default for another year. However, I’m hoping the selfishness of pleading for an end to the season will fall on deaf ears, cuz it ain’t about endangering lives. It’s about being safe. So I don’t know exactly what you’re trying to say, “hawks fan...figures,” but grow up.

So, let me get this straight. You’re saying that cancelling the next four to five months because of money is more important than protecting the players and fans that bring in that money? I’m only asking because, since I make such rash comments, I make sure I understand what you’re asking before I flat out accuse you of it. I completely sympathize with the horrendous economic issues that will result from this. I’m definitely not saying cancel next season, so I don’t know where you got that idea from. So please give me some clarity before I make another rash comment. In times like these, teams need to help each other for the long term future of the league, not get defensive and petty because of some perceived differences in economic power city by city.

I get where you’re coming from. I am personally of the opinion that while having some regular season would be fair, I don’t know how they’d be able to pull off such a thing in such little time. Having said that, everything has to depend on the health and safety of the players and fans. Even if the regular season or playoffs happens, there’s always the chance that fans might not be allowed at the stadiums.

Everyone is definitely stir crazy, couldn’t agree more. While I think the nhl could pick up new fans if they are 1st, I just don’t want the league making rash decisions and choices that rush the league back and get negative attention or response for doing so. Not sure if anyone knows about WWE’s story, but they’re the perfect example of what NOT to do in the middle of this.