Tom: Hello everyone.

And welcome into the talking puck podcast.

Tom Callahan.

Mike Haynes here with you.

Please follow us on Twitter.

I'm at Callahan on air.

He is at Buster, the dog 33, and also catch us on Sunday nights at 9:00 PM.

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Talking puck TV.

That's our weekly show that we do.

We love talking hockey this past week.

Mike and I jump it back in, in the new year here.

And we went an hour and a half.

Cause we had so much to talk about.

And now we're back to doing podcasts during the week.

So Mike there's, there is a lot going on.

Uh, there's a lot to catch up on these last few weeks, but something that's

been with us for a long time now.

I mean, we're talking a couple of weeks, a couple of years now.

COVID 19.

And cancellations and the league just announcing a as of our taping that

there's more cancellations coming this week now involving the Seattle crack.

And obviously the Canadian teams are being pushed back because of attendance

restrictions, but also the Islanders kind of getting caught up in it again.

Um, and now it's just, there's so much going on.

I know you said Toronto was, uh, having some fears about Austin Matthews even.

I mean, it's, it's nailbiting time for a lot of these teams trying to get through.

Mike: Yeah, I just saw it today.

There was a story from Anaheim.

The ducks had to cancel their practice

today.

Uh, you know, look, it, we're all COVID-19 fatigue talking about it.

Sure.

But.

Uh, you know, those living in the hockey world and I'm doing so through, uh,

again, a daughter who's playing college hockey and, uh, she's not able, she's

not able to get on the ice right now.

Uh, she took her test before she left.

She left on Sunday.

Uh, but she took her test on Thursday, uh, and she still has not gotten results.

So, therefore she's been there since Sunday night.

They started practicing yesterday and they're right now, they're doing three

practices a day and she can't get on the ice because you can't get a result back.

Uh, I mean, she's fine.

She's fine.

She didn't have any symptoms at all, but, but it's mandatory.

They take 10.

And then I've got a son playing high school hockey in Colorado,

and they're making them take tests if you're vaccinated or not.

You still got to take your tests.

And, and then, but they're also waiting.

There's such a backlog for just, you know, the common guy, uh, to, to get this done.

Uh, and there's only so many tests and so many people who can take care of it.

It's, it's, it's really affecting even lower levels of hockey, but

we're here to talk about the NHL in.

Boy, there's trying to think of which direction to go.

It is.

I always like to look at things from the fan standpoint and.

It's used a great word the other night on our, um, talking puck TV, uh,

broadcast on Sunday, when you talked about just the fatigue of it and the

players are tired of just all the written role you got to go through.

I think fans are as well, whether.

Can how many fans can come into the game?

What do you got to do to get in the game?

Uh, what do you got to show?

What are you going to prove?

What kind of tests?

You know, what it makes you almost just want to stay home?

If you're a fan and then you want to stay home and then games are getting canceled.

I it's.

I understand it's the world we live in Tom, but I it's, it's just not, and

I'm not saying anything that nobody understands, but it's, it's not good.

It's not good for the sport right now to have this stop and start.

Are they playing in the not playing and who's blinked now.

Okay.

I am going to go to the game.

I paid $150 for ticket.

Oh, Austin.

Matthews is out now.

Oh good.

Me and my son go to one game a year that we pay 150 bucks a ticket for, and Austin

Matthews is out because of COVID protocol.

I it's not good

Tom: Right.

And this is in no way, a slight or a slap at the AHL, but you don't want

to pay NHL prices to watch AHL hockey.

And when teams have five, six guys out, they have, you know, a good chunk

of their American league team up.

And in one case the other night, I'm trying to think, oh, it was a,

actually it was Edmonton yesterday.

Um, against the Rangers had a goalie who'd never played in NHL game was an

emergency call up because Mike Smith's a China doll and continues to get hurt.

But the only healthy goalie they had, sorry, Mike he's even on a fantasy

hockey roster, but I'm just going to pound this guy because enough's enough.

The cost and ends the only healthy goalie they have, they have no other choice.

And there was another, I'm trying to think of the team.

They had an ECHL goalie, is there emergency backup

because of COVID and injuries.

And it's just, and it's not.

So that's the thing is everybody's still dealing with the normal bumps break,

some bruises this time of year, right?

This is hockey.

We have injuries.

I get that, but this is making it so much worse.

And from a fan standpoint.

Yes, absolutely.

My guy agree with you.

This is a difficult situation for you to say, you know, maybe, maybe, you

know, little Johnny wanted to go see the, the Leafs against the penguins

because he also wanted to see Sydney.

And so you plan this game.

When it came out on the schedule, you bought the tickets.

Then now all of a sudden Matthews isn't in the lineup and who knows who else?

And you can't predict injuries, but you know, it's so tough.

It is so tough.

And you're still going to go to the game, but you can't help feel.

Just . And like, we've been saying just fatigued with the whole thing.

Every I know we're all over it.

It's not going away anytime soon, but this is, this is the reality we're in now.

It does make it more difficult as a fan.

Mike: But Tom here's part of the dilemma for me is how we have two countries

who are dealing with it differently.

And we have cities that deal with this differently.

And I think that that that's, that is a huge issue.

I mean, in Canada, what Ontario just went, we are locking down everything, right?

You can't go anywhere.

And you've got to have proof of vaccination for things,

but everybody stay home.

Everything's closed.

Now this is an Ontario, this Toronto.

So that's shut down.

New York is, is basically, it's crazy there too, but at least they're letting

people in the games, but up in Canada.

So you have, you have a real mixed message.

I think if you're a hockey fan, what is, COVID more severe in Canada?

Then it here in the states, uh, you know, some, some, you know, red states here

in, I guess in Texas or down in Florida.

Hey, everything's done.

It's fine.

Everything's open.

Come, come see the games.

Everything's fine.

Go up to, you know, you go up to New York up in new England.

No, no, no, you, you know, it's so.

It's a mixed message to Tom about what, how you deal with this.

And the other thing is now there's been a change from the CDC in

terms of, of, uh, you know, how long have you got a quarantine?

Uh, you know, it was 10 days now, you know, they're pushing this back to five.

Shoot sports be any different if guys aren't showing any symptoms, do you let

you know, because in some states they're having such problems in hospitals,

they're allowing people who have COVID nurses and doctors to come in and work.

So is it what point do you think?

Okay.

When do you start letting what?

What's the.

The way you look at who's allowed to play now.

I mean, do you shorten the amount of time you got to sit out?

I mean, does anything change or do you just ride this out, Tom?

Tom: From a league standpoint, they want to play the game, so

they want to get everything in.

So I feel like the leagues answer has been.

We're just going to forge ahead here and look at everything you need to know.

Mike, about the league stance is defined by the fact that they're canceling

games because of attendance in Canada.

Or lack of attendance because you can, what two, 300 people in some

buildings are 10% or whatever it is.

So that's, it's, it's motivated by the money clearly in that case, um,

the NHL does not care if you pay your $150 to see half of an American

league team, they just don't.

They want you to go to the game.

Uh, and that.

That's a hard reality to live with as a fan, but you have to understand

that the owners need to make money for the league to be successful.

And for them to want to continue owning teams.

Otherwise, if everybody wants to sell their team and no one wants to

buy one, guess what teams go away.

So that's, and to me, that's kind of the disheartening reality of it

all is I feel like the actual, you know, I'm a player safety guy, but

I'm also just a human safety guy.

Uh, I want to see everybody.

I side with doing things for people's health and not just my

health, not just your health.

Everybody's health and I think it takes a village.

So my point here is that no matter what you're doing, letting fans in are

not, uh, masking or not, you know, the, the, the reality of this new variant

is that it passes pretty easily.

The NHL picks guys out pretty quickly right now, even if they're asymptomatic.

And I know the NFL just actually changed theirs, um, letting

asymptomatic players who are vaccinated.

Go ahead and come back in.

The problem is Mike, who do you believe?

Medically, who do you believe?

And I know that that's a big problem in this country, especially, uh, but at the

end of the day, I mean, this is, this is a real world problem, but the NHL is going

to continue to forge ahead with this.

We're going to play those games in the Olympic break.

That's why I think they're fine.

Postponing stuff now.

My question is what if mid January is not going to be the peak of

this thing, this current wave?

What if it's actually going to get worse?

What if it's actually going to magnify itself into the spring then?

And that's what I wonder if the NHL has a contingency plan for

that's what worries me and I'm, I'm talking to as a fan league, how

are you going to deal with this?

I feel like they kind of make it up as they go and that's concerning.

Mike: Well, part of the issue too, is you have these postponements or w we,

we don't have, we don't have right now.

And I don't know if this tell me if this, if this bothers you or you

think this makes any sort of impact on the end of the season, that is

who's going to be in the playoffs.

There's such a variance in terms of how many games have been played by teams.

Ease it fair, you know?

And so, okay.

If I've got, if I'm Toronto and let's say Auston Matthews, he no waiting to find

out whether he's going to be out or not.

Don't you think for Toronto, they would rather, if you're the coach,

wouldn't you think, you know what?

I'd rather postpone the next five years.

And we'll wait to he and my, and my, he won't wait until he's better

before he starts playing again.

Yeah.

But it's that fair because there've been teams already this year.

You mentioned the Eilers they've had to play with the American

hockey league teams, basically with players are called up.

So, so what's fair.

What is fair to how many players have to be out before.

And what kind of players is it?

Oh, you know what we're missing?

We're missing three of our, you know, our, our bottom six.

Um, we can play.

Oh, awesome.

Matthews is out.

We need to postpone.

So how, how is all this being decided?

Tom: And the interesting part is that's a Toronto home game.

We're talking about, you know, the Edmonton and Toronto, because

that's the Wednesday, the Thursday is the, and by the way, they

should be coming out on Wednesday.

So it'll be quote unquote tonight's game, Edmonton and Toronto.

And then tomorrow night will be Toronto and Montreal, but that's

postponed because of Montreal not letting fans in the building.

Same thing with Winnipeg's games.

You know, it's Winnipeg can play in places where they could play.

But they don't want to play at home.

So, or can't play at home according to bleak because of such limited

attendance in the league is hoping this will work itself out.

Um, Arizona wants to postpone all of its games for the rest of the year.

Sorry.

I had to get that in there.

I had to get that in there.

Um, but, uh, yeah, you know, it's just, it's interesting to me, um,

It is going to be pick and choose.

And I do think it is going to be competitive advantage to some teams.

And because Toronto is a Canadian franchise right now, if they pressed

the league to postpone tomorrow, and I don't know, they could

issue a statement saying all the building says we can only have 500.

And again, season ticket holders be damned partial season ticket holders, be

damned, you know, sorry, guys, whatever.

Um, but if, if you're allowing 500 fans in that is if you postpone

the game, then you can say, well, we're taking care of our people.

We're doing care of our ticket holders.

We care.

We do care.

We want everybody in here buying our popcorn in $74 beers.

So

I don't know.

You're right, Mike, there is, there is a certain.

Uh, there will be it, and you can cry foul if you want, but it's just how it is.

It will give teams a competitive advantage.

It will help teams out to cancel when their stars are out.

If I'm Toronto.

Absolutely.

I'm saying, oh, Nope, we, uh, we can't, we can't do this.

Mike: And it gives you a chance if you can do that, if you

can postpone for a little bit.

It gives you a chance.

Let some guys heal a little bit, some bumps and bruises, maybe a little bit

of the injuries that, that lets you.

It's a few more games.

So let's take, for example, let's take Vegas.

Just for example, here, they've had some serious injury issues and you got ICL.

Who's just, who's there waiting to come back.

Boy, the more games.

If you're, if you're Vegas, the more games that you can postpone or wait on

and push back until you get a little more healthy, then you get patched.

You're ready.

And I go back.

Doesn't that help you?

Oh yes.

So, so what, what, w what is, what's the stop them from going.

W we got, we got seven guys right now with COVID pro and COVID protocol.

We're we're we need to, we need to wait two weeks before where we can play again.

Tom: Well, I mean, league administered testing, um, is, is why.

So the league is the league is the one with the results.

I'm not look, if you want to get into conspiracy theories,

we can say that somewhere.

There's an owner who's...

Mike: and he, all player has to do is say, I was exposed Tom.

I was exposed.

Tom: Uh, well, yeah, then you have to get your test and, um, w well, I'm

sure their tests are instant results.

Mike: I know.

I uh, but, but still you get, you get enough guys go, ah, I've been exposed,

exposed G I mean, you could, you could, you know, you could throw a little rock in

there for a little bit, so I don't know.

I'm just saying now.

I'm not saying every there are there.

Maybe it was a little different now than the, any job in the old days.

I could see, I can see some, some fast ones.

Oh yeah, definitely it.

Uh, and this is, again, this is a situation where everything is fluid,

the way they're going to deal with it.

And, you know, as.

Guidance changes from the CDC, but even, and again, the CDC

has no jurisdiction in Canada.

Canada's got its own health board and its own,

and it's serious time up there.

I mean, they're not messing around up there.

It's a whole different deal.

And I wonder if they're gonna, if it's Canada, are you hearing anything about

them shutting down the border again?

I ain't, nobody can come in, but

Tom: actually, so when I was in Buffalo over Christmas,

there was some talk about it.

Uh, yeah, they, they were, you know, kinda, is this gonna happen?

Is it not gonna happen?

Um, and.

You know what, I, I wouldn't be surprised just because they've done it before.

And you know, if you, if you didn't have to go over, um, for, you know, matters

of grave importance, or basically I think, and I'm not even sure if you

were allowed to cross for work at a certain point, that might've even

been off the table at a certain point.

So yeah, it's, it's tough to say if.

Uh, how that's all going to come out, but I'm looking at it from a

standpoint to Mike of this is, this is something that we've done at once.

Yes.

But now it's back.

We thought we were out of the woods.

You know, look, let's face it.

Some people are out there acting like there's just nothing

wrong, which is not the case.

Um, it's, it's, it's a little weird to me, but the thing is, so we're going

to go through these ebbs and flows.

I feel like we just need a better plan.

We w we need, and we need a more comprehensive plan again, I'll go

back to, I just feel like they're kind of making it up as they go.

They're like, well, right now, ah, we knew we had the Olympic break, bro.

This is it.

They said, we got that three week Olympic break in there.

It's built in, but we're just going to end up eventually postponing

three weeks where the games.

And we'll still finish on time.

And if it's less than that, then maybe we pull the end of

the season back a little bit.

I don't know.

I just it's weird.

Mike: Yep.

No, I don't think we know yet what the full ramifications are going

to be, but, uh, I thought it felt like we had turned the corner to

a degree, uh, before Christmas.

And then when the Omicron came.

Th this is upset, the apple card here, but I think we know what's coming and,

and boy, the league does not want to have to go through what they've been

through the last couple of years where you, you basically stop the season once

and then did get your playoffs in and then having to stop mid season, uh,

you know, last year that's they boil, boy, that's the last thing they want

to do, but they may not have a choice

Tom: could you see in future schedules, something where, and I know you'd really

have to owners don't want to reduce the number of games, but almost like

the NFL has a bi-week built in and the NHL used to kind of have that break.

I almost feel like you may need, if, if this continues of COVID just

always is like this, you may need a built-in five day period where you,

you know, you're going to put in some.

Uh, games that were rescheduled or postponed.

And, you know, once, once every six weeks you've got a five day gap, just in case

you need to throw something in there.

Mike: I think all that's got to get approved through the, uh,

players association and you know, what are they going to agree?

What are they going to agree to?

So, That's all part of negotiations, I guess, but I just think as we sit

here today, um, on January 4th, I think there's a great unknown, unfortunately,

as to what the rest of the season schedule is gonna look like and what

teams are going to benefit and what teams are going to get hurt, uh, because

of COVID protocols and miss games and postponements, and trying to make up

things and then try to squeeze games in because there's some teams done that.

That have not play that have played quite a few less games than other teams.

Are they going to be asked to do really have a hyper schedule near the end

where you're playing three games in five nights, you know, those kinds of things,

and where does that fit with injuries and fatigue and that sort of thing?

So our teams that have not, I, that just came to me, our teams that

are behind in terms of games play.

Are they going to have a tougher time at the end, because they're going

to have to try to get more games in.

Before the playoffs start.

Right.

I it's just something to think about.

Tom: It's a lot to think about.

There's, there's a lot of factors contingencies at, you know what,

there's probably things that can happen.

You and I haven't even begun to think about yet.

I don't know if that's possible,

but I mean, we're pretty comprehensive it was a pretty comprehensive program.

Mike: I don't miss much, Tom, so, but that's fine if you don't, if you think

you've missed something, that's all good.

Tom: Okay.

Willing to admit my fault.

Yes.

So I know we have no answers on this Mike but I also know that,

you know, we're, we're going to stay on top of this as best we can.

And as we look forward here, the, I guess the best thing we can hope for.

Is that, especially with the Canadian teams, cause they're

really postponing left and right.

In a lot of cases and you're right.

It's going to lead to a point where could a team fall eight to 10 games

behind the rest of the division?

Yes, it could happen.

Um, you know, it's, it's not a foregone conclusion that, you know, some teams

are going to have to finish by playing something crazy, like 17 games in

the last 30 days or, or some, you know, or even more 20 in the last 30.

Exactly.

Which is, I mean, in the minors three and three is a thing, but it's

not in the national hockey league.

So you no, no, no, not at all.

We'll see, we'll see how that's all gonna play itself out.

But, uh, any, any final thoughts you want to leave with on this, on this subject?

Mike: I just, just that it's very much up in the air and it's unfortunate.

Uh, you know, the world that we live in now, this is difficult for everybody.

And when we think of sports and especially those of us who are huge hockey fans, it's

you want to almost Xscape away from that.

Real-world with COVID just seems like you can't get away from it.

You know, it's, it's every broadcast, every news channel.

Everything you read in anywhere you go, you're constantly reminded of it.

Right?

Put your mask on.

Are you vaccinated, blah, blah, blah.

And you just kind of want to sit and watch or listen to a

game and just sorta escape that.

And it's just right back in your face again.

And

Tom: unfortunately, yeah, it is.

You're right.

And that's.

It's going to be there for the foreseeable future.

That's for sure.

But, uh, you know, you're always welcome to chime into the conversation.

We do always take questions and comments in our chat on talking

puck TV on Sunday nights at 9:00 PM.

Eastern we're on Twitch run YouTube.

You can join Mike and I there.

But in this case, we ask you to interact with us about the podcast on Twitter.

I'm at Callahan on air.

Mike is at Buster, the dog 33.

Let us know what your thoughts are.

I know there's no easy answers to this one.

Um, but you know, it's, it's some of the listeners, Mike, it's, it's a topic that,

you know, comes around from time to time.

We do engage on Twitter with it.

And I always like to hear what other people have to say, because

I mean, I have to listen to you to know whether I'm right.

So it's fun to listen to other people's perspective too.

So.

Mike: Yeah.

Look forward to hearing from people who agree with me.

Absolutely.

Tom: There you go.

Otherwise you will be blocked, deleted,

Mike: That's right, don't even contact me.

That's right.

Okay.

All right.

Well, that'll do it for this edition to the talking puck podcast.

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