"The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be back in action sooner than most people think.
It seems the NHL is seriously looking at a July return date to finish out the NHL season and award a Stanley Cup champ.
Leafs' President Brendan Shanahan believes the NHL probably has the easiest road to getting things back up and running compared to other sports.
Check out what he had to say on TSN Overdrive.
"I feel very optimistic that we are going to finish the season and have a playoff. I just don't know when. I do think, when you talk about timelines and restrictions, there is a lot more flexibility in the NHL than people may realize. If it happens, it is probably not going to look like the way we are used to. I don't really believe stories about these crazy neutral sites. I still think, if we are going to do this, it's going to be in a hockey market — a market where the infrastructure for putting on hockey and hockey games is available.
I don't think it is right around the corner. I think there are certainly a lot of important things that have to happen in the world. First and foremost, as you hear about a lot of businesses, it's testing. It's getting the health care services to the point where they are better prepared or equipped to put out hotspots or different things that might occur if there is a resurgence.
I don't think it is right around the corner or anything like that, but I do think when you talk to people in the league and then you talk to players, there is such a determination to at some point finish the regular season in some form and have a playoff. When you've got both parties so determined to do something, and you've got a little bit more time than people realize, I think it will happen.
It is getting a little bit ahead of ourselves to have any sort of a plan yet. But that is what we do and other teams do as well. What else is there to do except prepare in case you do get that call or in case things do start to evolve and improve to the point where we can go and play? I think it is really highly unlikely we finish this season in front of fans, but I still think there is an appetite for hockey fans, and if the games are on TV, there are lots of things for [the media] to talk about it and it makes it pretty darn interesting. I am running out of things to watch on Netflix, so I'd be thrilled to see some sports on TV — some live sports.
Again, when the time is right, it would just be a very optimistic step for our country."
What do you think of Shanahan's comments?"
