What Will the Hockey Scene Look Like Post Pandemic

NHL: Colorado Avalanche at Vegas

A whole new world awaits us all once the pandemic is behind us, however when we will all be able to return to some form of normality remains to be seen of course. 

When things do get back to normal though, things are certainly going to look a lot different to the way we remember, for there is still likely to be some restrictions and rules in place that we are all going to have to endure moving forward.

The Hockey scheme will, much like all other sporting industries see some major changes in the months and possibly years ahead too, and that is something I want to take a look at in this article.

I have consulted with many people about the long term effects of the pandemic on some of the big hockey sites, including speaking to Doug Hirdle from Betting.ca who told me that even hockey betting sites have been suffering recently, so even once great sportsbooks have been finding life tough.

What Will the Hockey Scene Look Like Post Pandemic
May 10, 2021; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Daniel Walcott (85) skates with the puck against the Florida Panthers during the third period at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Will Fans Be Prepared to Attend Hockey Matches?

The one question on many Hockey club managers minds right now is whether their fans are going to be prepared to attend their up and coming scheduled matches in the numbers they once did.

Concerns and worries are still there regarding Covid of course, and for some fans of the sport they may be extremely fearful of ever attending any events where large groups of people will be and let us face is there is little or no chance of social distancing at a Hockey match.

That does of course give some club owners the option of offering pay-to-view options to their fans, as some of them that are not prepared to attend a Hockey match may be more than happy to spend a few Dollars watching those matches on television.

But whether that really is going to be an option for all clubs remains to be seen, for the smaller ones will be faced with many additional challenges and expenses if they are to put in place a pay to view type schedule of their up and coming matches, and many of them will not be prepared to go down that road.

Will Hockey Clubs Replace Lost Advertising and Sponsorship Revenue?

What Will the Hockey Scene Look Like Post Pandemic
May 10, 2021; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne (35) celebrates with teammates after a shutout win in what could be his final home game as a starter against the Carolina Hurricanes at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Apart from the obvious income generated by ticket sales, two other revenue streams that have dried up for most if not all Hockey clubs over the last year are adverting revenue and money made from businesses sponsorships.

It is from advertising and sponsorship deals that most Hockey Clubs do generate the most revenue and moving forward when live sporting events are given the greenlight to return, it is debatable whether most companies will have the financial reserves to continue to advertise with or sponsor Hockey teams in the way they once did.

Some businesses have of course been lucky enough to prosper during the pandemic and all eyes will be on those businesses to see if they do decide to fill in the gaps left by others that have been forced to desert the sport, whether they will or not, well that is anyones guess, but let us hope some of them do as that money is desperately needed by all clubs right now.

Are You Struggling to Make Sense of it All?

It is true to say that even though we have all had to live through the pandemic and make all manner of changes to the way we live our day to day lives, for some people it has been a major struggle, and one that they have not been able to adapt to.

Whilst it is easy for others to say keep the faith, and things will get better, if you are struggling to make sense of it all and your mental health has been affected, then please consider reaching out to one of the mental health support groups who can offer you advice and support whenever you need it.

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