Confirmed with Link: 2019-20 NHL Season officially suspended due to COVID-19

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

This is our year. Revenge. The 2019 2020 Tampa Bay Lightning have the Stanley Cup circled on their calendar. Nothing else matters. Falling short of this goal would be devastating. With the inevitable fast spread of this virus what will happen to the Stanley Cup playoffs? The Sharks just cancelled all home games. What’s next?

Empty rinks?
Postponed playoffs?
Canceled playoffs?

How will this effect the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team? Will the players have the same MOJO? We will never have a team this good.

This couldn’t be worse for us.

Click to read more...

 

[The Macho King]

I don't think anything will be postponed or cancelled. While the US response has been exceedingly poor, I don't think the impact will be *too* significant on a day to day basis. There may be some empty rinks in higher risk areas and some extra precautions in fan meet ups.

One of the (admittedly tertiary) concerns I have is how this will impact the cap. Empty buildings mean no tickets sold, which means less revenue, which means less cap.

 

[Hoek]

Afaik the Sharks still haven't officially announced anything about their home games yet despite the county banning large gatherings.

I do think it'll depend on how things go in each region. Here's hoping our warm weather and whatever luck we have keeps things under control in Tampa Bay at least.

 

[Felonious Python]

 

[RussianGuyovich]

A tampa/Florida series in mid-late April is best case scenario to combat flu virus concerns. So uhhhh get to the Fixin’ bettman

 

[LightningStrikes]

Interestingly enough the main theory in Europe is, that higher temperatures will slow down spreading rates of the virus and might even completely neutralize it (until winter). Sooo... California and Florida aren't exactly known as cold areas.

 

[Felonious Python]

Interestingly enough the main theory in Europe is, that higher temperatures will slow down spreading rates of the virus and might even completely neutralize it (until winter). Sooo... California and Florida aren't exactly known as cold areas.

California spans most of the continental US vertically. There are places where it snows. The Bay Area (SJ-San Francisco-Oakland) is pretty far north.

CA and FL are also very different when it comes to humidity. The dry California air would probably not be as conducive as the often swampy Florida atmosphere.

The year round average temp for SJ is 57 F, the average for Tampa is 72 F.

 

[LTIR Trickery]

Interestingly enough the main theory in Europe is, that higher temperatures will slow down spreading rates of the virus and might even completely neutralize it (until winter). Sooo... California and Florida aren't exactly known as cold areas.

A theory and a not-so-good one, no real links or truth in this.

 

[Felonious Python]

 

[RussianGuyovich]

A theory and a not-so-good one, no real links or truth in this.

im not so sure there isn't some correlation between temperature and the spread of the virus. although this does ignore the socio-economic demographics.

should still wash your hands in tampa, though

 

[Felonious Python]

 

[RussianGuyovich]

What’s that? A postponed first round of the playoffs?

everything’s coming up stamkos!

 

[Felonious Python]

 

[LightningStrikes]

In Germany and France (and other countries I’d assume) all public events with more than 1000 visitors are to be canceled since this weekend.

 

[LightningStrikes]

It’s the 100th DEL season and there won’t be a champion. Crazy.

 

[Maelmoor]

Unfortunately the games will either be played behind closed doors or the season will have to paused/postponed. There is a great risk this will just keep growing unless very rigid decisions to stop it are taken (like in China and South Korea). Yes, for a healthy young/middle-aged person the risk of getting seriously ill is very low (unless you have some special medical condition) but it's incredible important to try to prevent the outbreak from spreading too much. It's too late to stop it in several countries but to protect elderly people and those with medical conditions that puts them in the risk everyone should do their best to prevent this from spreading.

 

[Felonious Python]

What if, in order to keep the pro sports gears turning, once a team has clinched a playoff spot, they're done for the season (at least at home)?

Playoff seeding goes out the window to just playing the nearest team.

 

[LightningStrikes]

What if, in order to keep the pro sports gears turning, once a team has clinched a playoff spot, they're done for the season (at least at home)?

Playoff seeding goes out the window to just playing the nearest team.

I mean there is still NHL20...

 

[HoseEmDown]

When's Wrestlemania this year? Once that's done Raymond James stadium will be available for use. Just play the game to an empty arena and then have all the ticket holders and those who were going to go to the watch party in front of the Arena just watch it there. Outdoor events are still allowed to happen so it would be safer for everyone. If these other cities are forcing games to be played without crowds it wouldn't be fair to everyone to have some teams play with crowds. This is for the playoffs only if it gets to that point.

 

[Felonious Python]

As I see it, this is the time to get crazy to test out whatever they have on a notepad somewhere. Play-ins, 3-game series, one game SCF, etc. Anything.

 

[TheFurryPickle]

I see the hysteria has reached you guys

Tell me, are you rushing out to buy toilet paper ??

 

[LightningStrikes]

I see the hysteria has reached you guys

Tell me, are you rushing out to buy toilet paper ??

 

[Felonious Python]

I see the hysteria has reached you guys

Tell me, are you rushing out to buy toilet paper ??

COVID seems pretty serious. The vast, vast majority will be fine, but if you look at places like Northern Italy, they're on lockdown. It's a significant disruption to life.

The issue is that us young, virile, stallions could be carrying it, not have any symptoms, pass it on to a senior (even a few stages removed), and they die. Good thing seniors don't like Florida.

As I see it, if the NHL is going to play without fans, they might as well go nuts with the creativity to bring fans to watch on TV. It doesn't make a lot of sense to alternate games in a 7-game series between empty buildings with airplane travel and hotels and all that.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

The rate the spread is going it will probably be held on empty arenas. I very much doubt the season will be cancelled.

I wonder what's going to happen to a much bigger sporting event... The Olympics

 

[LightningStrikes]

The rate the spread is going it will probably be held on empty arenas. I very much doubt the season will be cancelled.

I wonder what's going to happen to a much bigger sporting event... The Olympics

Or UEFA Euro 2020. There are already rumors it will get postponed by a year.