Hockey Ping!
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Posted on 05/26/2020 2:30:50 PM PDT by airborne
The NHL announced its Return to Play Plan on Tuesday with the Stanley Cup Playoffs that will include 24 teams.
The tournament will begin with a 16-team, eight-series Qualifying Round and a Seeding Round Robin among the top four teams in each conference to determine seeds for the First Round.
The NHL paused the regular season March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus and it will not be completed. The 12 qualifying teams from the Eastern and Western conferences were determined by points percentage as of that date. Seven teams did not qualify.
"I want to make clear that the health and safety of our players, coaches, essential support staff and our communities are paramount," Commissioner Gary Bettman said in announcing the Return to Play Plan. "While nothing is without risk, ensuring health and safety has been central to all of our planning so far and will remain so.
(Excerpt) Read more at nhl.com ...
The format for the playoffs was determined in meetings of the Return to Play Committee, which included executives from the NHL and NHL Players' Association, and five players: Ottawa Senators defenseman Ron Hainsey, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele, Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares and Philadelphia Flyers right wing James van Riemsdyk.
The Qualifying Round and Seeding Round Robin will be held at two hub cities to be identified -- one for the 12 participating Eastern Conference teams and one for the 12 Western Conference teams - and begin at a date to be determined. Candidates for the hub cities include Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Vancouver.
(let me know if you want on or off the ping list)
But hey, I support it. Let the bruisers have some fun!
Can’t wait.
“Puttin’ on the foil, coach!”
Go Stars!
Roger, that!
“Think they show Speed Racer here?”
I think you mean go Flyers...
Yes, this season will have an asterisk. So will the shortened 2020 baseball season, assuming that season happens.
The year 2020 will have asterisks and omissions all around.
A future college basketball trivia question will be, who won the NCAA championship in 2020?
can’t imagine any of the canadian cities being a ‘hub’ city given the travel lockdowns
rumor is that it will be Las Vegas for the western tournament
I’m reading that Vegas would get the conference championship and/or Stanley Cup. I think they’d do a great job.
Back to Minnosota ;)
Let’s Go Rangers!
And yes,Potvin and all else sucks.
Nope. No asterisk. It’s all about the playoffs anyway. Making them longer and harder just makes it better. And given how little advantage home ice is, especially in the playoffs where half the top seeded teams lose in the first round pretty much every year, the hub thing really means nothing.
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