Updates from the NHL on their plans for the rest of the season and any potential playoffs have stayed fairly consistent ever since they finally admitted that the season would need to be put on hold for the truly foreseeable future: we might be down but we’re not out.

Suggestions from the NHL have included the possibility of a truncated playoff schedule and holding games at neutral sites without fans, but as with many other sports (and the world in general), the NHL is currently stuck in a “wait and see” holding pattern, with no way of knowing when it might be feasible for teams to reconvene to practice together, much less play games together. The variability of health ordinances from city to city and country to country, along with the closing of the US-Canada border, add extra complications and levels of uncertainty.

NHL considering games at neutral sites without fans if season resumes

Still, despite all this Bettman is sticking to his assertion that, if at all (and he does mean at all) possible, there will still be more hockey played this year.

NHL exploring all options for resumption of season, Bettman says

That being said, if restrictions do end up making it impossible for any more hockey to be played in the 2019-20 season, I don’t think that that needs to mean that the Stanley Cup isn’t awarded at all. With this in mind, I’ve developed a couple of other alternatives to determine who should win the Cup...

Rock-Paper-Scissors Zoom Tournament
Teams select one representative per round to play best-of-three against their opponent. Refs will of course be on hand to make sure no one is cheating, though there will inevitably be several controversial calls due to video lags. These will somehow still manage to disproportionately go against the Leafs, arguably costing the team the first round.

Mascot Dance-Off
Self-explanatory, though maybe redundant. We all know Gritty is winning this one, giving the Philadelphia Flyers their first cup since 1975.

Words With Friends Tournament
Teams nominate a representative to play the entire tournament for them. Standard rules apply, except that players are awarded negative points for any terms related to hockey. Zach Hyman would definitely be a good pick for this for the Leafs. Pros: has a university degree, is an award-winning children's author. Cons: once spelt sieve wrong on camera, with confidence.

On to the links!

Join us in taking a look at the Leafs prospect pipeline:

Maple Leafs Hiatus Pipeline

The National Post argues for just ending the season now:

TRAIKOS: It's time to put the NHL season on ice

The Athletic is continuing their playoff simulation:

By the numbers: Simulating the NHL playoffs as if the season...

And Canadian tennis player Félix Auger-Aliassime shows off his hockey skills:

From The Branches