NHL eyeing mid, late May for opening of team facilities, but many hurdles remain

The NHL wanted to make one thing clear on Wednesday night: We still have a long way to go before we start seeing pro hockey games on our TVs, laptops and streaming services. 

But both the league and the NHLPA did offer a flicker of hope in their latest joint statement released following a meeting with the “Return to Play” Committee — noting that “Phase 2” of the NHL’s plan to resume the 2019-20 season might be attainable by the end of May. 

The statement read:

Despite numerous reports and speculation over the last several days, the NHL and the NHLPA have not made any decisions or set a timeline for possible return to play scenarios.

Given recent developments in some NHL Clubs’ local communities, we are now looking ahead to a Phase 2 of the transition period that would follow the currently recommended Phase 1 period of “self-quarantine” by Players and Hockey Staff.

The precise date of transition to Phase 2, during which Players might return to small group activities in NHL Club training facilities, remains undetermined. However, provided that conditions continue to trend favorably – and, subject to potential competitive concerns as between disparately situated markets – we believe we may be able to move to Phase 2 at some point in the mid-to-later portion of May. Specific guidelines governing Player and Hockey Staff activity would be provided at that time. In the meantime, we expect Players and Hockey Staff to continue to adhere to the recommended guidelines put in place when the season was paused on March 12.

The Return to Play Committee will continue to meet regularly.

It might be viewed as just a small step in what should be an extended ramp-up schedule if/when the NHL returns from its COVID-19 stoppage, but charting out a potential window for players to return to team facilities for small-group activities stands as a rare tangible objective issued during a break that’s mostly been inundated with lofty proposals, brainstorming sessions and unrealistic conjecture.

Granted, these are extraordinary times — and it’s rather evident that the NHL and all parties involved are assessing just about every option to get the 2019-20 season back on its feet. But before options such as regional sites and playoff games in late summer become reality, the league must pass the first hurdle — which is getting teams back together safely and gaining approval to re-open team facilities. 

That’s a task easier said than done, aside from the obvious challenge of ensuring the health and safety of players, coaches and other staff involved — even if Phase 2 primarily focuses on smaller groups. Still, given that many players have traveled back home since the NHL suspended the season back on March 12, dealing with travel restrictions — especially in Canada and Europe — will likely be a headache for just about every team.

Of course, there’s also the elephant in the room in regards to states having varying stay-at-home advisories and orders in place that could affect how certain teams are able to train. While teams like the Panthers and Lightning might have free reign to organize small-group practices without much of a hassle, what about teams in Massachusetts (stay-at-home order in place until at least May 18) or New York? 

Things could get messy, given that all teams should be afforded the same window to train and shake off the rust that has formed during this extended break. 

For now, as we’ve done for the past six-plus weeks, all we can do is wait and see how viable Phase 2 becomes as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to fluctuate across the U.S. 

If all goes well, we could start seeing players back at Warrior Ice Arena in the coming weeks, setting the stage for Phase 3 (full training camp) the following month and the eventual return of games (Phase 4).

But at this point, it’s rather foolhardy to look too far ahead to the potential complications that could arise in June and July. At this point, the return of NHL hockey needs to be assessed on a day-to-day basis. 

Wednesday, for the first time in a long time, was at least a baby step in the right direction.