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Dan’s Daily Links: NHL Cancellation Not an Option, NHL Trade Bait

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NHL return NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman

The news was everywhere, but the reality is it wasn’t anything. If the coronavirus pause has taught sports media anything, we’ve learned everything is news, even no news. On Wednesday, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke via video conference to a group of San Jose business leaders and affirmed his hopes to restart the season. Fox will augment games with virtual crowd noise, and Sportsnet blessedly rolled through NHL trade bait for all 31 teams.

Obviously, you know who has filled the Pittsburgh Penguins trade reports and the NHL trade rumors. But some of the names will make armchair GMs take a second look (Sportsnet)

Here’s our full accounting on the Penguins trade values Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

Sidney Crosby wants any team which wins the Stanley Cup to go through four rounds of seven games. He also got to see the 1987 Canada Cup for the first time this weekend. That made quite an impression, too. He chatted with TSN’s Darren Dreger, who usually dishes the NHL trade talk but has been having fun in “The Dreger Cafe.” We have the recap (PHN)

Commissioner Bettman said he’s not thinking about cancellation. Quitting would be too easy. On this issue, we stand with Gary (TSN)

Restarting will be much easier for the NBA because there are far fewer people involved and facilities are much easier to open without ice. If the NHL wants to award the Stanley Cup this summer, they need to get moving with plans, quickly.

A month or so ago, when Scotty Bowman and I chatted, he made clear his belief that restarting wouldn’t happen. He said something like, “Let’s be real.” It was the only time I gave the legend any pushback. I countered with an economic necessity from the media partners and for all involved. The hockey sage and greatest coach of all time chatted up that issue more in-depth with our sister site Boston Hockey Now (Boston Hockey Now).

Fox will be adding virtual crowd noise to sporting events until fans are allowed in the stands (Sports Illustrated)

The Hockey News and Matt Larkin looked at how hockey will look and sound in an empty arena (The Hockey News)

Here’s some good news–Florida has opened hockey rec leagues! Here’s how it worked (The Hockey News)

For all of the guff Florida and Georgia took for reopening, or not closing as quickly, the states are doing well in this next chapter of reopening. That’s well worth keeping an eye on.