Report: 2020-21 NHL season will not begin until fans are allowed back

According to a report from former Sportsnet hockey insider John Shannon, hockey fans may be waiting awhile for the 2020-21 NHL season.

Shannon reports that the NHL will likely not return for the 2020-21 season until fans are allowed to attend.

Check it out:

As already mentioned, the date NHL/NHLPA Protocols to be put into place still TBA….and these are just the next step to get to the summer tournament.

Truly believe, and in talking to many in the NHL world, a 2020-2021 season will not begin until people are sitting in the seats.

I mean… it’s understandable. Is the NHL expected to go on with a full season while receiving no ticket revenue? That’s just unrealistic. Sure, the NFL, MLB and NBA might be about to stay afloat under such a situation, but the NHL is a league that’s sustained by ticket revenue more than advertising revenue and media agreements. In short: no ticket sales, no league.

Here’s hoping that come the Fall or Winter or 2020 that social distancing restrictions will have loosened to the point where fans are allowed back into NHL arenas. Stay tuned.