CANTLON’S CORNER: WILL THE AHL SEASON BE SAVED? 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – The AHL season is not dead yet.

While it seemed almost a certainty that there would not be an AHL season a week ago, now seems to have completely flipped the other way.

The AHL’s Return to Play Committee has scheduled a Saturday meeting to be followed next Wednesday and Thursday, by a full-blown executive Board of Governors session. The purpose of the meets is to discuss the AHL 2020-21 season currently slated to start on February 5, 2021.

Tensions are running high as many teams stand to lose millions of dollars with little or no fan participation because of the myriad of different COVID restrictions currently in place or about to go into effect among the 16 states and three Canadian provinces that encompass the AHL.

What kind of a team could be put on the ice if the NHL carries a taxi squad of anywhere from four, to as many as, ten prospects being paid their AHL salaries? That’s just one of many contentious issues. What would an  AHL roster look like? Who would pay the players and who would pay the workmen’s compensation money to the respective states?

Also on the slate of questions, is what to do with the many prospects from or playing in Europe? Do they come back to the AHL or stay in Europe?

CRDA Executive Director Mike Freimuth stated very clearly where his organization stands when the Rangers discuss putting the Hartford Wolf Pack back on the ice at the XL Center.

“We have had some talks; nothing final very informal. Here is the gist of the problem. It has to make some (economic) sense. Right now, it’s not feasible, to open (the XL Center) without fans makes no economic sense at all.

“However, if they (the Rangers) want to fire this baby up and pay for it, that’s one thing, and we’ll be glad to handle it, but it will cost money. Right now, there is no revenue coming in. We want to be helpful to a longtime partner in our community, but I don’t even know if we wanted to, we could do so if health guidelines will permit us.”

When asked if the Governor’s office had been in touch with the CRDA, Freimuth said, “We have not talked to the Governor himself, but we have talked to the COVID task force that is advising him. We have a lot to balance here.”

Then there’s the question of the $1.6M affiliation fee that is supposed to be paid to MSG.

“That would have to be discussed. Right now, we aren’t paying out anything,” Freimuth said.

While Freimuith wouldn’t discuss the price tag, they would offer MSG to operate in the XL Center, he did rattle off the costs of starting up a building literally from scratch.

“We have to put new ice down. The HVAC system started to keep the ice cool, a brand-new chiller system, elevators, and escalators, and other mechanical operating systems would have to be turned on again. Then, how do we handle concessions, bathrooms, and keep everybody socially distanced? That means we have to get our rink personnel, and engineers in place. Who’s going to pay for this?”

Putting all that in place could run into the deep six, or even low seven figures range.

“Then we have to map out a security structure, and then we have the public health guidelines from staffing numbers, entrance, and exits. How is the food to be prepared for the public, staff, and the teams, and how it will all be distributed?

“Cleaning requirements under state emergency guidelines. Who is going to be responsible for doing that? That all has to be put in place and talked about before anything can be agreed upon.

“The insurance costs are significant both to the team, and the state and our building manager Spectra. I won’t even talk about worker’s comp insurance right now.” Freimuth stated.

Just getting personnel back with knowledge and understanding of the building and the structure under Global could prove to be as nebulous as anything else.

“We laid off 150 people. There are no guarantees these folks can, want to, or will be back.”

While the draft idea is for a 50-game schedule beginning sometime in early February, but the COVID restrictions are wide, deep, and varied. Pennsylvania currently allows just 10% capacity, California, home to six of the eight teams in the Pacific Division, can’t open today. What do you do then? Do you play, or even can you?

In Canada, it’s no easier.

The province of Ontario goes into a month-long lockdown the day after Christmas, and Quebec has a prohibition on public venues until January 11th, and that is likely to be extended until the end of the month – at least.

The idea of moving three AHL affiliates of the Canadian teams back home has gone by the wayside as a result of the Public Health Orders in each province and British Columbia and Alberta are prohibiting travel between the provinces.

The NHL finally got travel permission for its seven-team all-Canadian division on Christmas Eve, but does that include the AHL as well?

This weekend and early next week will see even more twists and turns than an Agatha Christie mystery novel. How it turns out and how that affects the play of a potential AHL season is still very much undecided.