Negotiations continue between NHL, players on 2020-21 season

It was a relatively quiet weekend around the NHL, aside from word out of Canada that a mint condition Wayne Gretzky rookie was expected to be the first hockey card to fetch at least $1 million at auction.

The league and players’ association continued to talk but made no major progress on guidelines for the start of the 2020-21 season following reports Friday revealed the sides are focused on opening in mid-January.

Commissioner Gary Bettman previously stated the NHL was targeting a Jan. 1 start, which is no longer realistic.

Talks between the NHL and players hit a snag over economic issues, but those were temporarily put to the side to work out other details of a season sure to be affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

According to several media outlets, the latest negotiations have been focused on a 52- or 56-game regular season with extra time worked into the back end of the schedule in case games are postponed. Training camps would begin after the Christmas holiday break and it’s unclear whether exhibition games would take place.

The New York Post reported Sunday that a 48-game season beginning Feb. 1 is more feasible with COVID-19 cases continuing to surge across North America.

The regular season is projected to end in early May should it take place, and the league hopes to award the Stanley Cup prior to the start of the Summer Olympics, which are scheduled to begin July 23.

The sides also are yet to resolve protocols for COVID-19 testing or the structure of the season, including a temporary realignment of the four divisions.

The seven Canadian teams are expected to comprise one division while the border between the U.S. and Canada remains closed to nonessential travel and a mandatory quarantine is in place. The remaining 24 teams are expected to be placed in three, eight-team divisions based loosely on geography.

Under that scenario, the Knights would face Pacific Division rivals Anaheim, Arizona, Los Angeles, and San Jose along with three additional teams. Colorado, Dallas and Minnesota or St. Louis are the most likely candidates.

It’s unclear whether games would take place at home arenas or in hub cities set up by the league to mitigate exposure to the coronavirus and comply with local health guidelines.

The biggest stumbling block to the NHL’s return remains to be the economics, despite a new collective bargaining agreement being ratified five months ago.

Owners asked players to defer additional salary and increase escrow limits to cover the additional losses of hockey-related revenue because of the coronavirus pandemic. Indications are the players are willing to be flexible on salary deferment but are holding strong against any changes to escrow.

Bettman said Wednesday during the Sports Business Journal’s “Dealmakers in Sport” virtual conference the league was not trying to renegotiate the CBA after assertions from players and agents that’s precisely what he was doing.

“We made a number of assumptions collectively over the summer, most of which are not applicable anymore,” Bettman said. “There are a lot of things that we have to deal with if we are going to return to play.”

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.