from Damien Cox at the Toronto Star,

With all due respect to my good friend Brian Burke and his suggestions on Sportsnet that the NHL will face catastrophic consequences if there is no 2021 season, there’s not a lot of evidence, historical or otherwise, to believe that is actually the case.

It wouldn’t be great for business, of course. Might a team or two be lost? Theoretically, but that’s only a concern if you think the NHL, with 31 teams and about to grow to 32, is at its best with that many clubs.

Few believe that. In fact, the NHL could be well served from a business point of view if teams that contribute little or nothing to the overall health of the league (Florida, Arizona) went under. Or were mothballed, then moved.

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