Now that the National Hockey League has outlined how it plans to resume the truncated 2019-20 season during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are now waiting for the NBA to unveil its plans for when the world’s best basketball players return to the court.
The NHL has opted to proceed with a 24-team playoff format, adding eight more clubs than normal into the mix for a shot at winning the Stanley Cup this year, a decision that has been heralded by some fans and ridiculed by others.
One of the biggest pluses of hockey’s return-to-play plan is the inclusion of big market teams like Montreal, Chicago and the New York Rangers, which would fuel TV ratings should the season actually proceed amid the pandemic.