If the major leagues are going to return to action any time soon, playing in empty arenas has become a guarantee. Here is why that is a horrible idea for hockey.
I am absolutely starved for any sort of sports content and I know that I’m not alone. Old reruns are just not the same as the experience of live sports and having the NHL back will be a welcome sight. However, the idea of having the Stanley Cup Playoffs in an empty arena is just not it.
At its core, the purpose of sports is to bring a bunch of people together, no matter their circumstances, to cheer for a common goal. People of all backgrounds, religions, and political views put their differences aside to cheer on their team in the playoffs. Fans and players have a symbiotic relationship that is unlike any other and the atmosphere that is created is exhilarating.
Drew Doughty was caught up in a lot of criticism when he said that a Stanley Cup awarded this season would not be the same as one awarded in a typical NHL season. If playoffs are played this summer, I do not think that the Cup will mean any less because the players will still fight ferociously for it and the level of competition will be no different from any year. However, if a team were to win the Cup in an empty arena, the feeling of victory will be completely different.
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Could you imagine watching Alex Ovechkin lift the Stanley Cup and only hear cheers from 20 of his teammates? What a bizarre thought. Remember, empty arenas mean completely empty. Players won’t be allowed to even have their families in the stands. Other than a small broadcast crew, the players are literally playing on their own.
Fans are responsible for creating the atmosphere in the game and in the playoffs, this atmosphere is amplified to the max. In an empty arena, the players are playing in the same atmosphere as their practices.
I’m not saying that hockey shouldn’t return. I want to see competitive action on the ice as soon as it is safe to do so. However, with a global pandemic, maybe it’s time to do things a little differently. This is literally the perfect chance for the NHL to think outside their rigid, traditional thinking and try something new.
What about 3-on-3 tournaments in which all the proceeds go to organizations fighting the virus? Players crossing borders will be expected to quarantine for 14 days so maybe keep the competitions within their own countries? Perhaps in America, we see team Patrick Kane vs. team Auston Matthews and in Canada, there’s team Sidney Crosby vs. team Connor McDavid?
We are in a time where sports content is at an all-time premium and the status quo has been thrown completely out the window. This is a great chance for the NHL to do things that they never would have had the chance to try if it weren’t for a once-in-a-lifetime crisis. We can award the Stanley Cup every year after this. Let’s try something new for 2020.