Of the 3 major sports leagues currently on hiatus due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the NHL remains the most bullish on continuing with their season. As the days go by, things don’t appear as positive as they were before. But the NHL hasn’t given up yet. They remain hopeful that they can return to the ice in some form and finish out the current season. Let’s get to the particulars!
NHL Update – April 6th Edition
NHL 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs
- When: TBD
- Where: TBD
NHL Stanley Cup Odds
- Boston Bruins +450
- Vegas Golden Knights +800
- Tampa Bay Lightning +600
- Colorado Avalanche +700
- Washington Capitals +1200
- Pittsburgh Penguins +1200
- Louis Blues +900
- Dallas Stars +2000
- Philadelphia Flyers +900
- Toronto Maple Leafs +2000
- Edmonton Oilers +2000
- Nashville Predators +3000
- New York Islanders +4500
- Vancouver Canucks +3300
- Calgary Flames +3300
- New York Rangers +5000
- Arizona Coyotes +5500
- Columbus Blue Jackets +10000
- Minnesota Wild +6600
- Winnipeg Jets +5500
- Montreal Canadiens +100000
- San Jose Sharks +100000
- Buffalo Sabres +100000
- Chicago Blackhawks +25000
- Anaheim Ducks +100000
- Ottawa Senators +100000
- New Jersey Devils +100000
- A. Kings +100000
- Carolina Hurricanes +3300
NHL believes it can finish the regular season
This is the same headline we had in last week’s NHL Update. Why change when the National Hockey League has yet to give a strong indication they are considering shuttering the 2019-2020 NHL Season?
Why does the National Hockey League remain bullish on starting up their regular season while the NBA has gotten super pessimistic? For starters, the NHL doesn’t take its cues from China. There is no Chinese Hockey League. The Chinese Basketball Association wanted to restart their league in April. That won’t work due to asymptomatic Covid-19 carriers. That sent a wave of gloom through the National Basketball Association because the NBA had used the CBA as a model.
From the National Hockey League’s point-of-view, the Olympics canceling was a sign that they could return to play. That’s their model. Why? Because hockey players were going to go directly from the end of the season to Japan to play in the Olympics. Now, from NHL’s point-of-view, the league can play NHL games during the time players and the league had carved out for the Olympics.
How would a return to the ice look?
The NHL has discussed playing without fans. That’s not the desire. But it’s in discussion. Also, the National Hockey League has talked about playing less games to finish out the regular season. Some discussions have occurred about jumping right into the playoffs.
The idea is to play for the Stanley Cup in August. Starting play up in late June or early July, per some NHL executives, could work with an August Stanley Cup. No NHL play could resume without a small mini-camp, though.
What’s standing in the NHL’s way to resume play?
On the NHL’s side, a lot of foreign players returned to their homes. Worldwide travel bans could throw a wrench into the NHL’s hopes of resuming play. Also, 41 U.S. States and Canada have stay-at-home directives in place. Until those lift, players can’t travel from state-to-state.
President Trump Hopes for Sports to Resume Soon
President Trump spoke to the heads of the major sports leagues over the weekend. He said he hopes that sports resumes, with fans, in August. But truth be told, that was more of a “we can do this” rally cry than anything else.
Then again, the NHL is dead set on resuming play. Expect the National Hockey League to get it going in late June or early July. It’s about testing. If a test comes out that shows a person has it that is asymptomatic, then, who knows? Once that type of testing picks up, the NHL could be back on the ice before we know it!
In the meantime, while you wait for hockey to resume, check out MyBookie’s current betting options. They include horse racing and plenty of eSports. Also, future betting on the NFL, NCAA College Football, and the 2020 Major League Baseball Season!
Bet on NBA2K and NCAA 2K March Madness Simulation Matchups
While we wait for more information from the National Hockey League, you should head over to MyBookie and get your hoops betting fix by wagering on NBA2K and NCAA 2K March Madness Simulation games. It’s almost like wagering on the real thing!
Place your bets on What will be the first league to play? on our Coronavirus Odds.
Here in MyBookie.ag Sportsbook we will keep you informed on the status of the main leagues. We also have the NBA Coronavirus (COVID-19) Status and MLB Coronavirus (COVID-19) Status.
Or you can also access all the updates on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Sports Updates.
