As the National Hockey League continues to monitor the spread of COVID-19, they’re hesitant to make decisions about how to end the 2019-20 season. As long as there is a chance that things could get better enough for the league to manage to salvage something that somewhat resembles playoffs if you look at it in the right light, then they will do that. Waiting out decision-making is inevitable with that in mind.
But what has become more evident with each passing day is that whether the league is able to scrape together something of a season end or the curve doesn’t flatten enough, prolonging our quarantines, the league’s summer events are going to be disrupted one way or another. Those events include the 2020 NHL Scouting Combine during the week of June 1-6 in Buffalo, N.Y., the 2020 NHL Awards on June 18 in Las Vegas and the 2020 NHL Entry Draft the weekend of June 26-27 in Montreal.
The NHL announced this afternoon that these events are officially to be postponed due to scheduling uncertainties caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Few details are offered, as to be expectedly when the entire premise of postponement is uncertainty about the future, but the announcement did not shy away from the fact that the solution might mean moving the draft out of Montreal this year, saying: “The location, timing and format of the 2020 NHL Draft (and Draft Lottery) will be announced when details are finalized.”
The LA Kings were 28th overall prior to the season pause and were likely to finish the year as a lottery team.
The release continues with, “With respect to the Bridgestone NHL Awards, the League looks forward to returning to Las Vegas in the future. Las Vegas has been the home of the Bridgestone NHL Awards since 2009.”
Read the full announcement here.