In the midst of COVID-19 uncertainty, one thing will always be true: the Blues won the Stanley Cup
Life is kind of come to a standstill, in a sense. I’m working from home, starting this week. Many are across the country, while other jobs are suspended. The world has changed, and when it will go back to normal remains to be seen. Maybe soon, hopefully soon. Maybe not for a while.
But life does go on. The NHL is going on, in some respects, even though games are not being played. For example, the Blues signed one of their draft picks, Hugh McGing, to an entry-level contract. You can read about that here.
Even as several states are mandating that people stay home, the world keeps on turning. The NHL keeps on turning. And these are things we can tend to forget as our social lives, jobs, immediate plans, travel, etc., are put on hold. And NHL games are on hold, but the league is still operating, just as our lives are still operating. The players are presumably staying at home, staying in shape the best they can. They’re texting teammates, checking up on their well-being. They’re trading memes, enjoying time with families, waiting for the League to resume play. Hopefully that’s sooner than later.
No doubt they are adjusting and figuring out ways to cope with these anxious times, even as we all are. For example, I’m trying to keep my normal morning routine, even though I’m working from home now. I’m certainly grateful to still have a job.
The Blues certainly have some decisions to make in the offseason, chief of which is the contract status of Alex Pietrangelo. I’m sure Doug Armstrong is wrestling with that even now. He has plenty of time to do all manner of salary cap calculations to get Petro’s next contract to fit.
Doing that will require some salary be moved, without question. Jay Bouwmeester’s salary comes off, but that won’t be enough to offset what the Blues need to keep Petro.
I was glad to see the league doing their best to help game day personnel get by during this time of no hockey. The stories of people and businesses chipping in to help people is so heartening to see during this uncertain, worrying time.
Hopefully, the COVID-19 crisis calms down quickly, and we can all enjoy hockey again. We can enjoy the stretch run and the playoffs, even if they are abbreviated this summer.
The one upside to the stoppage in play: every day that goes by is a day that the Blues are still Stanley Cup Champions.
Open Ice Notes 