Mark Madden: To revive season, NHL must dictate covid terms to Canada

The Pittsburgh Penguins have a seven-game win streak. Now they also have a five-game postponement streak. The NHL schedule is being decimated by covid.

Canada isn’t wholly to blame, but that country’s fear of covid and much stricter policies concerning the virus are trickling down to the entire NHL. That’s compounded by each Canadian province having its own protocol, each stricter than the Centers for Disease Control’s in America.

Games in Canada also are being postponed because of attendance restrictions. A Jan. 12 contest between Boston and Montreal has been moved from the latter city to the former because no fans are allowed to attend games in Montreal.

There are seven teams in Canada, 25 in the United States. However abstractly, the seven are dictating to the 25. That’s undue effect given the ratio.

It’s frustrating, as NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly admits: “(We are) navigating choppy waters the best we can.”

Canada always has treated hockey as its fiefdom. But covid isn’t going away. Canada must make concessions.

Here are the options:

• Canada and its provinces should relax restrictions regarding its NHL teams and players to give the league relief on getting games in: isolation, crossing the border, etc.

• If that’s unacceptable, make Canadian teams relocate to the U.S. for the rest of the season. The NBA’s Toronto Raptors played home games in Tampa last season because of Canadian travel restrictions. The NBA didn’t give them a choice.

• If that’s still unacceptable, the Canadian teams can form their own league or sit out the rest of the season. The Toronto Maple Leafs might get a chance to pretend they won.

Canada would capitulate and adjust if either of the last two options were presented. Canada doesn’t want to lose the NHL, not even temporarily. (Then again, the International Ice Hockey Federation canceled the 2022 World Junior Championship on Wednesday after covid mangled things. The tournament was being played in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta.)

Drastic alternatives for the NHL may sound crazy, but they’re no crazier than what’s going on. Because this can’t continue, especially when the NFL and NBA are playing. Not without problem, but they’re playing.

Covid isn’t the same virus as it was two years ago. You still can get it, but the danger isn’t comparable. Not with the weaker variant, and not with the vaccine.

Meantime, Boston’s Brad Marchand is angry at the NHL for yanking its talent from the Olympics because of covid cancellations, thus denying Marchand a chance to spear different players. St. Louis’ Vladimir Tarasenko also expressed his ire.

The NHL has implemented taxi squads because of covid. Marchand thinks those extra players could have been used to keep the NHL playing while the stars went to Beijing.

Who would pay full price to see NHL games minus the top players? How would the network broadcast partners feel about that?

Marchand’s idea is selfish and ignores who pays him. (It’s not Canada’s national team.)

It ignores his teammates, too. How will the below-the-line muckers feel when their stars abandon them with points and playoff berths on the line?

Marchand wants the players to have a choice. But they did have a choice.

The NHL Players’ Association agreed to an Olympic opt-out at the NHL’s behest under exactly the prevailing circumstances, namely too many postponements because of covid. It’s in the collective bargaining agreement. The NHLPA also signed off on last week’s withdrawal announcement.

You can’t complain about things you already agreed to. Individuals can’t go rogue after their labor leaders collectively bargain. Hence the term “collective.”

Roll over, Cesar Chavez, and tell Jimmy Hoffa the news.

Unions often limit opportunity for the elite in sports. Witness the NFL’s franchise tag, which keeps free agency from being truly free. There are a lot more grunts than stars.