Latest AHL News: Ready For Early December Start-Up

The news of hockey returning to the AHL continues with the ever-changing situation regarding the COVID-19 experience behind the scenes. However, there appears light at the end of the tunnel.

My latest post was focused on a possible delay for the start of the 2020-’21 AHL season, but there has been an update regarding the situation at hand that could be received either way.

The league has since released this statement this past Thursday, July 30th.

So, it appears to be a wait and see approach and the effects of the COVID-19 with the hopes of a viable solution soon. With the NHL set to resume with the post-season this weekend, the AHL will take a back seat for the time being with hopes of starting up play in early December. Those that were hoping for a full season to begin in October will have to wait until after the outcome of the NHL Playoffs bubble attempts to take place this summer.

I would assume if this comes to fruition, there will be the possibility of some players that will be eligible being sent down to the AHL that will then ready themselves available when duty calls once the NHL is ready to resume play in early 2021.

Again, this based on assumptions.

However, the reminder for those that are not familiar. The AHL needs fannies in the stands to be ultimately successful. There is zero television exposure for additional revenue like the NHL, as AHL-Live is it for the fanbase.

So if the parent clubs in the NHL can assist in any way for their minor league affiliates to survive, then that will become a win-win scenario during this stressful time-line because the AHL will not survive if the 2020-’21 season is cancelled.