Bettman says NHL leaving all options open for return

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league is no closer to determining when it can restart its season but will be ready for all possible scenarios.

Speaking on “CNN Newsroom” on Monday, Bettman did not rule out playing games at neutral sites without fans as the NHL looks to safely resume its season after pausing because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Until there’s a sense that people can get together, not just to fill our arenas but even our players to get together to work out, we don’t know when we can come back,” Bettman told Anderson Cooper. “We’re exploring and want to be prepared for every option, whenever the circumstances present themselves. So, we haven’t ruled anything in, we haven’t ruled anything out and we’ll be prepared to go in whatever direction makes sense at the time.”

Bettman echoed many his comments from last week’s interview with Mike Tirico on NBC Sports Network when he said he hoped to have more clarity by the end of the month whether the NHL can complete the season.

The NHL paused March 12 because of concerns surrounding the COVID-19 virus and instructed players and staff to self-isolate through Wednesday, a period that is expected to be extended.

Bettman said previously the league is prepared to play well into the summer if necessary to award the Stanley Cup, and that could include games at neutral sites such as Grand Forks, North Dakota.

“There’s been a lot of speculation that we’re going to play in neutral sites like North Dakota and a variety of other places,” Bettman said. “The fact is, when you’re in the position that all of us are in, you have to be prepared to relaunch when the opportunity presents itself, which means you have to not rule out any conceivable alternative and be prepared on every one, even if some of them ultimately turn out not to be realistic.”

Bettman characterized the April 4 conference call with President Donald Trump and other professional sports commissioners as “constructive” but “we all agreed until it’s the right time, there are other more pressing issues than when we come back.”

If the season can safely resume, Bettman noted that players would need “two to three weeks” to get back into game shape.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended an eight-week ban on gathering of more than 50 people that runs through May 10. The NHL originally hoped to hold a training camp 45 days into the period covered by the CDC’s directive.

“As much as we may worry about keeping everybody … safe from the coronavirus,” Bettman said, “we also want to make sure that our players don’t jeopardize their health by coming back too soon and not being in game shape.”

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.