Had everything gone according to plan, the moderator of this forum would now be in a hotel room in suburban Toronto, beginning Day 6 of a mandatory 14-day quarantine the Canadian government imposes on travelers arriving from the United States.
Not much has gone according to plan during the past four-plus months, however, so he remains on the south side of the border, at least for the moment.
Turns out that when he tried to enter Canada on Sunday, he was turned away because the NHL had yet to provide Canada's government with the documentation needed to secure entry for U.S. reporters planning to cover postseason games in the hub cities of Toronto and Edmonton. (Believe it or not, hockey writers are not classified as "essential" workers by Canadian authorities, a designation that would have removed most hurdles at the border. Gee, what could possibly be more valuable to any society than someone who strings together words about a sport?)
Anyway, training camps across North America have been open since Monday and the NHL still intends to resume the 2019-20 season with games on Aug. 1, so this is the place to discuss all of that, or anything else pertaining to hockey. (And, of course, the finer points of Canadian border-crossing policies during a pandemic).
Post questions, comments and observations at your convenience, and I'll respond over the course of the day.
If you’re new: Enter one question (at a time) in the comments below. When it’s done, all that will be left are the questions, my replies and any follow-ups by the original questioner. Please don’t use this the way you would an ordinary commenting thread, and please scroll through the questions already submitted to make sure your question hasn't been asked.
Thursday: Mike Kovak
Tomorrow: DK
