Two NHL stars offer very different views on returning to play this season

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In the span of about 24 hours, two different NHL stars offered two different takes on resuming play this season. Kevin Hayes of the Philadelphia Flyers and Drew Doughty of the LA Kings are seeing things from two different points of view.

Kevin Hayes

Former Ranger and now Flyers center Kevin Hayes told Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports on an Instagram interview that he thinks there’s a chance they could come back after July 15th. Although the video is no longer available, I have spoken to many that verified the quote.

For the most part, what Hayes is saying lines up with much of the news coming from the NHL. Gary Bettman believes that the Tokyo Olympics being cancelled gives the NHL more viability to play late into the summer. That means less conflicts with their playoff broadcast partners NBC. The concerns many have would be ice quality but Bettman believes that won’t be an issue. He alluded to the new state of the art arenas in areas like Florida and Vegas being the main reason why.

Drew Doughty

On the flip side, LA Kings defenseman Drew Doughty doesn’t see how the league can return. He said on a conference call, “I don’t see how this season is going to return,” believing it will impact next season.

The NHL and NHLPA continue to look at ways to come back this summer and not lose any of next season. Cancelling the NHL All-Star Game would likely be part of that plan.

By Anthony Scultore

Anthony Scultore has been covering the New York Rangers and the NHL since 2014. His work also appears at... More about Anthony Scultore

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