What You Need To Know About The 2021 NHL Season

Posted by: KHTS Articles in News Articles January 27, 2021 - 11:30 am 0 195 Views

Did you miss the NHL hockey games? So did everyone else, including the organizers and team owners. Everyone has been waiting with anticipation for the whole of 2020 since the lockdown and suspension of the NHL games. But now, there are reasons to smile again as the 2021 NHL season is in its early stages.

With the pandemic still around, we expect changes in how teams will play the games and the live viewership. Questions about preseason games, fans’ attendance, and the condensed season are all rising. So, what is it that you should expect in this new NHL season? Let’s find out below.

Preseason Games Scrapped: What’s the Effect?

The season started in a different style this year with the preseason games axed. The coaches and players can only feel the effect of this act. During the preseason, forwards and defensive players develop chemistry. It is also the time coaches get to understand their players’ strengths as they create befitting line-ups.

So when the organizers announced there wouldn’t be any preseason games, coaches and players had to develop other survival methods. Coaches will now be forced to try various player combinations to see what works out perfectly for the team. This option comes with uncertainties and could cost some of the teams their potential wins.

In a Zoom Conference meeting, Toronto Maple Leafs coach, Sheldon Keefe, said he was only trusting the information he had about his players.

The Players’ Contracts

The new signings were preceded by the concluded Draft that didn’t end well for some top teams. For example, Ottawa Senator’s Eugene Melnyk had better chances of securing better deals in the Draft but couldn’t actualize the chances. He explains why he never settled for some chances in his email to Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, a report you should look at to learn more.

Regardless of whether the deals were good or bad, the players seem to have won big with the new contracts. Their salaries won’t be prorated for the full games in the season, but they will differ 10% of their pay this season. Escrow has also been raised to 20% to compensate for the lack of revenue.

On everyday occasions, rookies have to play ten games for their entry-level contract to kick-off for that season. That is changing in the 2021 season as the threshold has been lowered to seven games. Additionally, players’ contracts scheduled to end on June 30, 2021, will be extended to July 27, 2021.

The Covid-19 Question

The main change you expect to see is the face masks. Coaches will now be expected to be fully on face masks as the games continue. While other coaches are pleased with this protocol, others feel it will be a limitation to their communication with players.

Players’ movements and interactions with the outside world has also been affected, somehow. The NHL demands that players on road trips are only permitted to the rink and hotels where meals will be served. They are not to visit any bars, retail stores, or restaurants.

Additionally, players will be using a room per person for this season. Practices are only limited to the NHL-sanctioned arenas, and using rinks that are owned by third parties is prohibited for the season. They will also conduct meetings virtually unless it is very crucial for physical meetings. In which case, teams must uphold physical distancing.

Testing will be done daily to all NHL players and staff throughout the training camp for the first month of the season.

A Condensed Schedule

With only four months on the schedule for this season, teams will have to play all the 56 games in these few months, creating real pressure. That could make the NHL events more interesting for the fans this season but a stretch for the teams.

The goalies seem to be on the receiving end of the pressure on their teams. Many teams are planning to split the workload of their goalies almost evenly. Having top-notch goalies is a proven tactic of winning the games much easier.

Are Fans Coming back to the Game Already?

Some teams will allow fans to attend their games in limited capacities, but most teams are yet to embrace this. The Panthers, Coyotes, Stars, and Lightning are the confirmed teams that allow fans at limited capacities this season. Other teams might follow suit after checking with their local health authorities.

The effect of empty arenas will be highly felt by players who, on some percentage, get motivated by their cheering fans. Fans will also enjoy a significant number of the games from the comfort of their homes, saving for the few games they’ll be privileged to attend.

The Offside Rule

The offside rule has been a topic of controversy and discussion in the past few seasons. However, some light seems to have been shed in this season’s new offside rulings. That comes after everyone in the general manager’s meeting in March 2020 agreed there needed to be a more liberal interpretation of the rules.

In the new offside rules, a player is considered to be onside when either of his skates is in contact with the blue line.

This new offside rule is expected to improve players’ chances to score and make the match more appealing. If the rule had been in place last season, there would have been 14 more goals in the season.

Final Thoughts

You have every reason to be excited about the new NHL season, but many things will not unfold as per your expectations based on previous seasons. However, everyone is happy that the games are back and only hope that any new rules and undertakings will make the season more enjoyable.

The season which is just unfolding will be one worth following as players are more motivated and action-packed. With the new offside rule, teams anticipate scoring more goals this season than before. It is going to be fur months of full-action and many surprises. Are you ready?