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As you can see, the Walleye are saying the will play, but not until February. I am still skeptical and we’ll have to see if any other teams drop off. February provides a cushion to see how things come together.
Also, NHL/NHLPA are “finished” talking about the financials of the return to play. The PA did speak a bit about more deferment, but nothing has been implemented. The challenges I see are:
Still no games scheduled. At this point, that is a massive point of contention
No format yet - as far as “bubbles or other alternatives”
PA still on the hook for a lot of money. Escrow is the vehicle used to repay discrepancies in the 50/50 revenue split. With the current adjustment 20% for this year and next and a drop to 6% for the next two seasons won’t do nearly enough to address that. Players offering increased deferment will add to the current deficit as it will be refunded over the next three seasons. Going into 21/22 with the current revenue shortfall and adding deferment repay is a bit like gasoline on the fire in terms of debt.
We looked at delays on starting the season and some of the upgrades Yzerman made to the team during the off season. The players and owners need to hammer something out fairly quickly in order to salvage a January start. In the meantime, more ECHL teams have cried “uncle”.
Back in November I wrote about 6 ECHL teams that have cancelled their seasons (entire North Division). 3 more teams have dropped out (see tweet above) Cincinnati, Idaho and Kalamazoo. Toledo and Fort Wayne still undecided (same division). My best guess is that they will drop off soon. The ECHL looks to be another COVID casualty. Part of me suspects that the AHL is watching this closely as well. There is a bit of transfer between those 2 leagues (in one season, Petr Mrazek played in all three). The NHL can’t make it without fans, those two leagues are even more dependent on ticket revenues.
It can’t be overstated, the NHL funds far more hockey than just the 31 teams who bear the monicker. AHL and ECHL teams benefit from transfer agreements as well as being in the system for many teams. While the NHL and the NHLPA continue the stalemate, more teams and leagues are going to have to call it quits on the season. It’s worth mentioning that Nashville is still assigning players to Milwaukee in the ECHL
read about that here. There is clearly some optimism that some teams/divisions still hope to have a season. 17 of the 26 teams are still, at this point, committed, just about two thirds. The feel is still precarious, and more announcements could be on the way.
I’ve made the trek to Toledo, and it was a worthwhile endeavor. It’s a completely different flavor of hockey (as the AHL is to the NHL). A bit more rough and tumble at times, and more focused on a “family fun” atmosphere (there was an ice cream vendor riding a bicycle through the corridors). Everything is geared to getting fans to come back, and a fraction of the cost of the AHL/NHL counterparts.
It bears consideration, how many careers are going to be derailed by all the shutdowns? Colleges have shut down, AA teams have shut down. Players who aren’t in Europe at this point probably can’t find a gig overseas. There is still the “trickle down”, and we’ve talked about it extensively on this blog. Yzerman was proactive in getting prospects jobs overseas, and that bodes well for his vision. Hopefully the AHL can put together a reduced season, but the NHL has to make that commitment first. I do hope the NHLPA is paying closer attention. They may have to take half salary for half a season to work out. It’s not pleasant to think about, but the incentive for ownership has to be there to open the doors.
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • 
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