NHL insider Elliotte Friedman made headlines on Sunday night with his report on Sportsnet. Friedman speculated Grand Forks, North Dakota as a potential spot for NHL games if the 2019-20 season is to resume.
The season was put on pause nearly a month ago due to the COVID-19 outbreak. There is no timetable for any kind of return to ‘normal life’, let alone to sports.
As a result, according to Friedman, the NHL and NHLPA are “beginning to spitball scenarios as to where remaining 2019-20 regular-season/playoff games could be held.”
Grand Forks, North Dakota does not have a professional hockey team. They have a building, however. Ralph Engelstad Arena, per the report, could serve as the main site in North Dakota. The Arena played host to the 2005 World Junior Championships, the 2016 World Under-18s and is home to the NCAA’s Fighting Hawks.
As Friedman mentioned, however, logistically this could be hard to pull off. Housing could be an issue, as there is limited hotel space in Grand Forks. Also, you would need more than one site for games to be played.
According to Friedman, the league and the PA will discuss other locales this week.
One of those other locales leaked on Monday. John Shannon reported on Monday that Manchester, New Hampshire is also under consideration to host NHL games.
Manchester was formally home to the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs, affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings. After they headed to Ontario, California as part of the AHL’s Pacific expansion, an ECHL club took their place at SNHU Arena. That club folded last summer.
SNHU Arena is located in downtown Manchester and has a capacity of nearly 10,000.
ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski and Emily Kaplan discussed the likelihood of NHL Playoff games being played in empty buildings this summer, and where they could be held.
“There are models being considered and planned by the league that involve games being played in arenas without fans. Some of those models involve playing in empty home arenas around the league, and others focus on the thing the NBA is considering: holding the postseason at a neutral-site venue,” Wyshynski reported.
“Holding the postseason in a single venue isn’t the NHL’s preference,” he continued. “That could mean multiple venues for the early rounds of the playoffs, almost like ‘regionals’ for teams.”
In March, the league reportedly asked teams for building availability in the months of July and August.
NHL players reportedly proposed a revised schedule for a return from this COVID-19 pause back in March. That proposal had them returning in early July for training camp, then finishing the 2019-20 regular season in late July. The 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs would then take place in August and September, while the draft and free agency take place in October.
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