Agreement includes 4-year extension of collective bargaining agreement
.
The NHL is officially returning to the ice this summer.
The league and its players union formally signed an agreement Friday that would see hockey return — with hub cities in Toronto and Edmonton.
The sides announced they came to a tentative agreement on Monday. The agreement includes the potential to return to the Olympics in 2022 and 2026 and a four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement.
The NHL board of governors and the union’s full membership gave the documents, which were tied together in an all-or-nothing bundle, the thumbs up in separate votes.
Bringing the hubs to Canada, where coronavirus infection rates are largely under control, proved to be the logical choice after a significant spike in cases across the United States in recent weeks.
“While we have all worked very hard to try to address the risks of COVID-19, we know that health and safety are and will continue to be our priorities,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “We know that all of our fans are excited about our return to the ice.”
Training camps for the 24 teams, primed to compete in the league’s blueprint to kickstart the 2019-20 campaign, that was suspended March 12, are scheduled to begin Monday in each franchise’s home market.
The plan will then see Eastern Conference clubs report to Toronto on July 26, while those from the Western Conference will head to Edmonton before the games resume Aug. 1.
Once in Canada’s largest city and Alberta’s capital, players are set to be kept away from the general public in so-called “bubbles” that include strict health measures, daily testing and mostly confine teams to hotels and empty arenas.
Read more HERE.
This NHL season cant be taken seriously, its a joke. The season ended prematurely nearly five months ago. The wealthy players/owners just want some of the millions of dollars left on the table. They should have left it, as if a war broke out. A season with an asterisk beside it. Go to the government in early August, asked them if they could play a full new season starting in early October with no fans in attendance.
No, actually you have it almost completely wrong:
https://nypost.com/2020/03/19/coronavirus-could-cost-nhl-players-a-ton-of-money/
This is silly I doubt many want such a pieced together ham fisted Stanley Cup run in August with NO FANS IN BUILDINGS!
What NHL should do is bring back the players at regular September training camps, then after a short training camp start playing games ( BTW WITH FANS IN ARENAS!!! COVID 19 IS OVER FOLKS the global deathrate is falling to near zeros levels now and fewer cases, only about 2% go to hospital now ) to FINISH the now suspended season to say have all teams finish with 82 GP starting on OCTOBER 1 2020. The Playoffs can start Say Nov. 1 2020. With the Stanley Cup awarded by no later than by Christmas 2020.
Then take a 2 week break and start a 2021 season say first weekend after News Years Holiday in January of just games played inside each conference to fit in a 48GP season (Remenicent of the 1994-95 lockout shortend season). Then come April 2021 have another Stanley Cup Playoffs for 2021 Season.
I’m pretty happy with the way it’s all worked out : Isolating the players, finishing the season, handing out the Cup in early October, draft and free agency, then starting the 20-21 in Dec. Most encouragingly, both sides took the opportunity to work out a new bargaining agreement, till 25-26!