Could the 1st-place Bruins be awarded the Stanley Cup outright? Brad Marchand has some 'mixed feelings' about such a scenario

The last time the NHL did not award the Stanley Cup (barring lockouts or CBA disputes) came all the way back in 1919 — during the Spanish Flu pandemic that killed millions across the globe. 

While the 1919 Stanley Cup Final was held between the Montreal Canadiens and Seattle Metropolitans, no champion was ever determined — as the series was halted with both clubs stuck in a 2-2-1 draw.

The outbreak of the flu ultimately led to a majority of Montreal’s roster being hospitalized — with defenseman Joe Hall dying of the flu just days later. While Montreal owner George Kennedy wanted to forfeit, Seattle manager-coach Pete Muldoon refused to accept such a forfeit. Ultimately, no winner was determined — and both teams were etched on the Stanley Cup. 

Given the precedent set during those trying times over a century ago, it would seem unlikely that the NHL would chart a different course this season if the 2019-20 campaign is unable to reach some semblance of a conclusion due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Still, that hasn’t stopped some contingency plans from sprouting up if the league is indeed forced to put the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs in the rearview mirror. One such scenario could benefit the Bruins — who have stood atop the league standings for most of the 2019-20 season.

The leader of the pack for the Presidents’ Trophy with 100 points secured at the time of the NHL stoppage, the 44-14-12 Bruins have arguably been the most complete and consistent club all year long. As the team with the best points percentage at .714 (St. Louis ranks second at .662), the Bruins have about as valid a claim as you could get when it comes to singling out the top team in NHL this season.

Of course, regular-season success means squat when plenty of talented clubs are thrown into the melee that is playoff hockey — but in these unprecedented times, could the NHL look to put a stamp on this campaign by simply awarding the Stanley Cup to the most successful team for the first five months of the season?

Such is a scenario that Brad Marchand entertained when speaking with season-ticket holders during a virtual town-hall meeting on Thursday afternoon. Even though a decision like this would clearly benefit the Bruins (to put things lightly), Marchand did note that getting to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup without battling through the grind of the postseason does cheapen the overall validation of hockey’s top prize. 

“Mixed feelings, obviously,” Marchand said. “You go through the playoffs to win a cup, but I mean, we've earned that first place throughout the year, we've competed hard and we've shown all year that we're a top team. So I’m mixed — I don't think I could answer that.

“But it'd be hard to turn that trophy down in any situation. But at the same time, you want to earn it. So, I don't know what I would do in that situation. Maybe take a couple drinks out of it and pass back.”

Using regular-season standings to determine a Cup champion would likely sour the sentiment of many. But these days, there are few outcomes that are going to fully satisfy everyone — especially those anticipating the return of packed barns and raucous crowds on Causeway Street.

Even if the Bruins were to return later this summer for playoff hockey, it seems like a given at this point that we don’t be seeing full crowds at sporting venues for quite some time — creating another dynamic that players on the ice will have to adjust to. 

“It'd be different. It would be like a practice, really, that's kind of the way it would feel,” Marchand said. “One of the most exciting things about the game is having the fans there and the support and the energy and the momentum swings that they can create. I don't even know if logistically it makes sense to play without fans, because of the cost of all.

“I don't know how that stuff all works, but it would be a much different feeling. But if that's what it takes, and then that's what it takes for us to get back on the ice and to play — I mean, we just want to get on the ice and play. So hopefully they can find a way to make that happen. If it's without fans, it's without fans. But again, we just want a shot to get that Cup.”

From a player’s perspective, not being able to feed off the emotion of the hometown crowd ultimately stands as a secondary concern. Aside from the obvious health risks involved with playing in the midst of a pandemic, Marchand harped on the fact that any return for hockey this summer would have to be preceded by an extended training camp.

If players aren’t given a long window to get back up to playing shape and shake the rust off their legs with on-ice work — forcing these athletes to take battle in playoff bouts simply stands as a recipe for disaster.

“The toughest thing is it doesn't matter what you do off the ice,” Marchand said of his conditioning work. “I mean, you can run, you can bike, but nothing will really simulate the workout that you get on the ice. You can't duplicate it, can't replicate it, it's completely different. So it doesn't matter who does what in this break, we're all going to feel awful coming back, we're all going to be bad.

“It's going to take a while to get it back. So that's probably the biggest concern with this whole thing anyways, that if you take guys that have been off that have had very limited opportunity to work, go in to train, and haven't skated a month. You can't just throw them back into games in a week — everybody's gonna get hurt. So you know, there's going to be some kind of a ramp-up period and it's going to be really, really ugly for the first few games. So it'd be nice to be able to get a couple games in before the playoffs start, otherwise, it's really a free for all.”

A "free-for-all" might be the most apt term to describe the current state of the NHL — a league leaving no stone unturned when it comes to charting a potential return this summer, but with few solutions that won't come without major concessions being made.