This Season Extends, And Next Season Is Delayed
This one kind of stinks, but of course in the grand scheme of things it’s just hockey. It actually feels like the most likely possibility. So, let’s say the NHL returns May 1st and attempts to play all of the games. That would mean the regular season ends around June 1st. The normal NHL schedule has Stanley Cup Finals games in the middle of June. That would mean this schedule would likely have games going, even on an accelerated schedule, through at least the beginning of August.
There’s no way the NHL Player’s Association would allow the players to come back in two or three weeks and just jump right in to a full 82-game regular season. And honestly, that’s not a fair ask of the players, coaches, or anyone else associated with the NHL.
So, it’s likely we’d have to wait until November at the earliest before the regular season starts. Then, we’d either have fewer games, or more likely another accelerated schedule. That means we have to wait another month before we see competitive Devils hockey.
This offseason, it felt like forever between the offseason activities and actual competitive hockey. Now, we might have to add another month to that wait.