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As the schedule moved back to December, the NHL’s target date of January 1 for the start of the 2020-2021 season seems less and less achievable.
Between the coronavirus pandemic that continues to ravage the country and the NHL’s request to the NHL Players Association to review specific areas of the collective agreement, just four months after agreeing to a six-year extension, there is has several issues that need to be resolved before the season can begin.
Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke about the current state of the league in a broad interview with the Sports Business Journal’s ‘Dealmakers in Sports’ program on Wednesday, noting that the January 1 start date is “a work in progress, largely influenced by what we are. hear from medical experts. “
He added that the goal of the NHL was to find a way throughout the 2020-2021 season using vaccines to get back to a normal one-season schedule that runs from October to April, from here next fall.
“We’re talking to pretty well-placed people, without telling each other,” Bettman said. “COVID is going through a second wave, which could be worse than the first wave. And between Thanksgiving and the aftermath, we take our time and make sure that when we look for ways to move forward, we focus on health and safety and do the right things.
“We are hopeful and optimistic based on everything we hear, that we can get back to normal in 2021-2022.”
In addition to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, about two weeks ago it was learned that the league had asked players to defer an additional 16% of base pay for the season – in addition to the postponement of 10% originally negotiated in July.
Bettman vehemently said the NHL was “not looking to renegotiate” the CBA, which took into account the potential economic distress created by the pandemic during previous negotiations. Instead, Bettman pointed to the planned “system pressures” as to why the league asked for an adjustment in the numbers.
He also expressed his displeasure with the way the situation was portrayed in the media, saying it was “unfortunate” and “inaccurate”.
“We have been absolutely unequivocal with the players that we are not trying to renegotiate,” said Bettman.
The Post’s Larry Brooks reported last month that the demand to renegotiate the postponements, as well as to increase the escrow limit from 20% to 25%, angered union members. Following the league’s request, there was a week-long standoff in discussions between the NHL and NHLPA.
TSN reported that a member of the 16-player Return-to-Play committee believes a start date between January 20 and February 1 makes more sense. There is a strong belief that a full schedule of 82 games is not possible at this stage. A shortened 48-game season could be at stake, similar to what the league implemented after the 1994 and 2011 lockouts.
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