from Greg Wyshynski of ESPN,

It only took 27 years, a few lockouts and a global coronavirus pandemic, but National Hockey League players might finally have some leverage against commissioner Gary Bettman and the owners.

As the NHL considers any and all plans to restart its season this summer, there are two essential entities that need to sign off on any format on which it lands. The first, obviously, are the local and federal officials who control the restrictions on travel, mass gatherings and essential businesses. One assumes that by July, the league can find four states with relaxed restrictions, suitable hockey facilities and four-star accommodations to stage its "divisional villages" and complete the 2019-20 season.

That is, if the other entity agrees to it: the NHL Players' Association.

"Nothing is happening without the players signing off on it," one NHL agent said this week.

They have to approve the training period leading up to the season, as well as the schedule, the format, the playoffs and the calendar, so as not to impact next season. They have to approve which COVID-19 tests are administered and how often. They have to give the OK to the health and safety considerations inside the arenas, from social distancing guidelines to what happens when one of their peers tests positive. They have to sign off on where they're living, and for how long. Once the Stanley Cup is skated inside the cavernous void of an empty arena, they'll have approved how long the offseason lasts before the start of next season, and approved what next season's truncated schedule looks like.

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