CALGARY – Like most people, Rasmus Andersson is convinced the NHL made the right move by pausing the season.
“I think so,” said the Flames defenceman, one of the first NHL players to comment publicly on Thursday’s abrupt shutdown.
“I don’t think it’s fair to anyone if you play without fans. The fans, in many ways, pay your salary, and not to be able to come to the games is not fair, in my opinion. If we’re off a week, a few days, two weeks or we go directly into the playoffs, or we play three, four, five more games, it’s hard to say because you don’t really know. But they should be able to watch.”
Right now that’s impossible, due to the increasing number of locales around the league and the world prohibiting gatherings of more than 250 people.
At some point, those restrictions will be lifted.
When that will happen is anyone’s guess.
And while there are certainly many who think it’s unlikely such bans will be lifted in time to salvage any semblance of the season, Andersson is optimistic the season won’t be scrapped like it was for the 2004-05 lockout and the 1918-19 finals due to the Spanish Flu.
“I would be surprised with that,” said Andersson, 23.
“One way or another we have to do playoffs. If we wait two, three, four weeks…we’ve played 70-plus games this year. They should do the playoffs at least.”
League officials are already hard at work trying to piece together tentative schedules and modified playoff formats to finish what would be a truncated season, while also trying to answer other questions that loom.
Can players leave their respective towns anytime soon? When and where can they work out or practice? Is it wise to practice together or skate separately? Will they continue to get paid? Will they be insured during informal skates?
As players like Andersson sit at home, participating in team group chats while awaiting direction, speculation grows as quickly as the virus spreads.
Andersson confirmed he and his teammates haven’t been tested for COVID-19, and said he wouldn’t be shocked if he found out one of his teammates tested positive for it.
“I would be a little surprised, but at the same time I wouldn’t because of how fast it spreads,” said Andersson.
“Me and my girlfriend care about it a lot, and have been really careful – I’ve never washed my hands as much as I have the last week.
“I’ve heard people can have it without them even knowing they have it. That’s the scary part too. If someone on our team had it, or has it, then probably 10 or 15 guys would have it because we’re so close to each other every day at the rink and on game days we’re with each other five to six hours a day. Honestly, you just don’t know, and that’s the scary part about it.”
Is he concerned he may have it, given the number of arenas he’s been in of late that overlap with NBA teams?
“A little bit, obviously,” said Andersson.
“I haven’t heard anybody from our team who has it. It’s so hard to say. It’s a scary thing, but everything we’ve heard is it’s kind of like the flu. You’re not really worried about yourself, but you’re worried about the elderly and sick people.”
When Andersson’s alarm went off at 8:15 Thursday morning his plan was to head to the rink for the morning skate in preparation for the Flames’ scheduled home game against the New York Islanders.
But when checking his phone he saw a text from the director of team operations, Sean O’Brien, telling him to stay home, as all morning skates were cancelled while league officials held a conference call to ultimately follow the NBA’s footsteps by pausing the season.
“We were watching TV (Wednesday night) and with the NBA’s decision you had it in the back of your mind (hockey could follow suit), but you’re not really sure,” said the Swedish native, who added that a meeting with the NHLPA on Wednesday informed him they were unsure what might happen and were taking things “a half day at a time.”
“It’s something you can’t predict. It sucks, especially this time of year when everything is so close.”
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