Throughout an look on KSHP Radio Las Vegas’ Vegas Hockey Hotline, Golden Knights proprietor Invoice Foley dropped a bombshell.
When requested about his staff dealing with Nate Schmidt, who was simply traded to fellow Pacific Division squad, the Canucks, Foley responded: “Yeah, however they are going to be enjoying within the Canadian division.”
Come once more?
“I believe they are going to play a Canadian division,” he added when pressed on it. “I do not suppose they are going to cross the border.”
It is lengthy been rumoured this might occur. The US-Canada border has been closed to non-essential journey for months and on Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he isn’t planning on altering that any time quickly.
MORE: Golden Knights go all-in on Alex Pietrangelo
“We’ve got dedicated to holding Canadians secure and we maintain extending the border closures as a result of the States isn’t in a spot the place we might really feel snug reopening these borders,” he mentioned in an interview with a Winnipeg radio station.
“We are going to proceed to make it possible for Canadian security is prime of thoughts after we transfer ahead. We see the circumstances in the USA and elsewhere around the globe, and we have to proceed to maintain these border controls in place.”
Again on Oct. 6, the NHL and the NHLPA collectively introduced a goal date of Jan. 1, 2021, for the subsequent season. Whereas it is a date circled on the calendar within the league’s workplace, it is in pencil and never ink. Foley does not see it taking place that quickly and thinks a Feb. 1 begin date is extra rational — however one which should finish by June 30 as a result of NHL’s broadcasting rights with NBC who additionally airs the Olympics.
“If we play 56 video games in 4 months, that is a whole lot of video games,” he mentioned relating to it in all probability being truncated season. “There’s not going to be a break. There’s going to be a whole lot of back-to-backs. In idea, we will play 4 video games every week to get this season carried out. Possibly much more — 5 video games every week.”
That is why, regardless of the staff’s wage cap points, he made it a degree that the Golden Knights maintain each Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner between the pipes. With the addition of Alex Pietrangelo this week, Vegas is above the wage cap and might want to shave wage to be compliant by the beginning of the season — which, to circle again, was the primary driving drive behind the delivery of Schmidt to the Canucks.
Whatever the begin date and the variety of video games, his hope is that followers will get to see this squad in particular person.
“If we’re not enjoying in entrance of followers I do not know the way a whole lot of groups could make it, together with us. It’ll be very tough. It’s a must to make a critical monetary dedication to fund the staff if you happen to’re not enjoying in entrance of followers,” he mentioned. “I consider Gary Bettman’s not going to be having us fly throughout if enjoying in empty arenas. There’s going to be one other plan and we’ll see.”
And if there are followers, Foley has a prediction on how issues will prove: “If we play in entrance of followers, I do not suppose we could be stopped. I believe we’re successful.”
Discussion about this post