from Damien Cox at the Toront Star,

There’s been talk about starting up Jan. 1, but that’s looking less and less likely with every passing day. The all-Canadian division idea could be hitting a snag. The premier of British Columbia has called for restrictions on travel between provinces. Could be awkward for the Canucks. Alberta is breaking records for cases, not good news for the Oilers and Flames. Toronto is in lockdown. The Raptors have had to find a temporary home in Florida, and it’s not clear the Maple Leafs can even practise at the moment.

In the U.S., meanwhile, we’re seeing rates of spread in many states that have not been seen anywhere else in the world. This is uncharted territory.

So there’s lots of trip wires out there for the NHL in the short term before a vaccine becomes available.

Part of an NHL season, naturally, will be seen as better than no season at all to the owners, the players and the customers, who will likely be confined to watching from home. So while setting aside this season entirely might be logical, it’s not going to happen.

Now the owners and players have figure out how the dollars will work.

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