from Frank Seravalli of TSN,
It’s fair to say the NHL is closely monitoring the vaccine distribution in both countries. An especially slow rollout in Canada may mean that Canadian arenas will be empty or operating in limited capacities come October, when the entire league was supposed to ramp up again.
“The progression of the vaccine rollout both in the United States and in Canada is going to an important factor in what next season looks like, both competitively and economically,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly wrote in an email to TSN on Wednesday.
Daly wrote that it was too soon to make any sort of accurate revenue projection for next season, though the NHL has models for different scenarios.
But as Daly hinted, Canada’s delayed vaccine rollout could impact everything from revenue to competition, which could include division alignment, travel and trades.
“As much as we would like to know more, the fact remains that the landscape continues to evolve and it’s still premature to be making any meaningful predictions for what next season will look like,” Daly wrote. “Certainly, we remain optimistic that our current trajectory toward a more normal business environment will continue and its pace will increase.”
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