NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly is leaving the door wide open on how things may look if the league's suspended regular season ultimately resumes.
"I'm really not positioned a week into this to rule out anything," Daly said, according to The Canadian Press. "The possibilities on how this plays out and what we're able to come up with as an end to the 2019-20 season is almost endless."
The NHL, NHLPA, and Board of Governors have explored numerous scheduling options since everything came to a halt March 13 due to the global coronavirus pandemic. However, Daly recently said one of the league's top priorities is ensuring the 2020-21 schedule isn't compromised.
Daly has worked for the NHL since 1996, a tenure that's featured two labor-related work stoppages, but he admitted the league's current circumstances are unprecedented.
"I've never seen anything quite like it," Daly said. "There was serious concern about the situation. But I certainly didn't see it unfolding and unraveling as quickly as it did from the point that we ended that meeting to having to pause the season roughly one week later.
"It was quick."
The NHL doesn't have a clear timeline on when things may resume but announced earlier this week that all players must self-quarantine through at least March 27.
On Tuesday, an unidentified Ottawa Senator was the first NHL player to test positive for COVID-19.
However, the 42-year-old's decision to seek greener pastures toward the end of his Hall of Fame career is far from unprecedented. Over the years, many superstars across North American sports have left the places they became synonymous with to join unexpected teams.
Results varied among these players, but in most cases, the late-career switch provided a weird image of a former star in an unbefitting uniform during a forgettable final chapter of an otherwise celebrated legacy.
The outcome of Brady's trip to Tampa remains to be seen, and if anyone can buck the trend, it's probably Tom Terrific. However, in light of the GOAT's southern sojourn, let's remind ourselves of some previous instances when a player's last stop was more strange than successful.
NFL
Joe Montana - Kansas City Chiefs
JEFF HAYNES / AFP / Getty
Who better to begin this list than Brady's childhood idol? After four Super Bowl titles and two MVPs as the face of the San Francisco 49ers' dynasty, a 37-year-old Montana joined the Chiefs in 1993. Because he's Joe Montana, he still made the playoffs both seasons and even reached the AFC Championship Game in his first year, but that No. 19 just didn't carry the same sort of magic.
Jerry Rice - Seattle Seahawks
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Speaking of 49ers legends, who could forget those 11 games when Rice donned Seahawks colors to close out the all-time greatest career for a wide receiver? The answer: everyone. The 42-year-old Rice was dealt to Seattle six games into the 2004 season after three productive but forgettable years with the Oakland Raiders. His stint in the Pacific Northwest resulted in just 25 receptions for 362 yards and three scores. Perhaps mercifully, Rice never suited up in a real game for the Broncos the following season after signing a one-year deal with Denver.
Emmitt Smith - Arizona Cardinals
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After setting the all-time rushing record in his final season with the Dallas Cowboys, Smith, then 34, signed a two-year deal with Arizona. He started just five games amid an injury-riddled first campaign with the Cardinals then nearly hit the 1,000-yard mark for the 12th time in his second year before calling time on a Hall of Fame career that certainly could have lived on without his trip to the desert.
Ed Reed - Houston Texans/New York Jets
Evan Habeeb / Reuters
Reed refused to retire after winning Super Bowl XLVII with the Ravens as a 34-year-old and signed a three-year contract with the Texans. After quickly losing his starting role, Reed was released and subsequently signed by the Jets to close out his playing days, which could have ended on a better note had he walked away after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
NBA
Michael Jordan - Washington Wizards
Garrett Ellwood / National Basketball Association / Getty
On top of their shared membership in the Six Ring Club, respective GOATs Brady and MJ now share something else in common: late-career destination changes. The sports world was used to Jordan retiring by the turn of the century, but the thought of him returning to basketball in anything other than Chicago Bulls colors was lunacy until he joined the Wizards in 2001. His Airness still got buckets until the bitter end and had a grand farewell tour in his second year with Washington. Still, that dark blue and brown looked as weird on him as a baseball uniform did.
Allen Iverson - Memphis Grizzlies
Rocky Widner / National Basketball Association / Getty
Iverson signed a one-year deal with the Grizzlies during free agency in 2009, but he played a grand total of three games before leaving the team for what was described as "personal reasons." Clearly Memphis wasn't the Answer.
He did find his way back to the 76ers for a final cup of coffee in the Association later that season, but it was short-lived as well.
Patrick Ewing - Orlando Magic
TONY RANZE / AFP / Getty
After 15 remarkable campaigns with the New York Knicks, Ewing was shipped to Seattle for a season and then joined Orlando a year later for the final stage of his Hall of Fame career. At 39-years-old, Ewing started only four of 65 games played for the Magic, averaging six points.
Hakeem Olajuwon - Toronto Raptors
Kent Horner / National Basketball Association / Getty
The Dream won everything there is to win over a dominant 17-year stretch with the Houston Rockets but was dealt to the Raptors in 2001 in a move that's largely been forgotten by everyone south of the Canadian border. Olajuwon was hardly a factor as Toronto qualified for the playoffs for a third consecutive year. He retired after one season.
NHL
Martin Brodeur - St. Louis Blues
Jasen Vinlove / USA Today
Few players in NHL history are as synonymous with a team as Brodeur is with the New Jersey Devils, but the all-time wins leader opted to call it quits as a member of the Blues in 2015. Brodeur won three Stanley Cups, four Vezina Trophies, and 688 games with the Devils compared to just seven games with St. Louis.
Mike Modano - Detroit Red Wings
Aside from the most controversial goal in NHL history, Modano's No. 9 jersey flapping as he flew down the wing is arguably the longest-lasting image of the most successful era in Dallas Stars history. His No. 90 in Detroit did not produce the same profound effect, as Modano played just 40 contests and posted 11 points with the Red Wings before head coach Mike Babcock prevented him from playing in his 1,500th game.
Bobby Orr - Chicago Blackhawks
Focus On Sport / Focus on Sport / Getty
Orr was the Tom Brady of the Boston area in the early 1970s. The swift-skating blue-liner won two Stanley Cups, eight consecutive Norris Trophies, three MVPs, and two Conn Smythes during his Bruins tenure to cement his status as one of the greatest players to have ever lived. In 1976, chronic knee issues and complications with his agent forced Orr to hit free agency and ultimately sign in Chicago. He appeared in just 26 games over two seasons in the Windy City due to injuries before retiring.
Mats Sundin - Vancouver Canucks
Bill Smith / National Hockey League / Getty
In his 13th year with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sundin, who holds franchise records in goals and points, refused to be traded at the deadline with free agency pending and the team seeking a rebuild. The captain's decision created plenty of angst among Leafs fans, and frustrations grew tenfold when Sundin sat out to start the 2008-09 season before signing with Vancouver that December. Sundin played 41 games with the Canucks plus a brief playoff run, and, as fate would have it, the lasting memory of his time on the West Coast was a shootout winner in his return to Toronto.
MLB
Sammy Sosa - Texas Rangers
Icon Sports Wire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
After 13 memorable years in Chicago with the Cubs, Sosa joined the Orioles for a season, left the game entirely for a year, then found a new landing spot with the Rangers in 2007. His stop in Texas was more productive than Baltimore, and he did join the 600 home run club in the Lone Star State, but it was a lackluster finish to a polarizing career.
Randy Johnson - San Francisco Giants
MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images / MediaNews Group / Getty
Even at 45 years of age, Johnson couldn't get enough of striking out batters with his devastating slider, so he joined the Giants in 2009 for one last hurrah. The Bay Area wasn't too kind to the Big Unit, who crafted a 4.88 era in 96 innings before stepping off the mound for good.
Mike Piazza - Oakland Athletics
Stephen Dunn / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Piazza served as the heart and soul of the New York Mets before the end of his career brought him out west to San Diego and Oakland. The Hall of Fame catcher appeared in just 83 games for the Athletics in 2007, and while A's colors look nice on anyone, Piazza belonged in orange and blue.
Wade Boggs - Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Robert Rogers / Major League Baseball / Getty
Boggs hit the first home run in Rays history and notched his 3,000th hit while a member of the organization. Still, does anyone really associate the legendary third baseman with Tampa Bay when reflecting on his Hall of Fame career?
The contract will pay Wolff $700,000 with an additional $92,500 signing bonus, according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports.
Wolff, a left-handed shot, is listed at 6-foot-5, 229 pounds. The 23-year-old recorded 10 assists in 33 games this season and won two national championships during his tenure with the Bulldogs.
The Buffalo Sabres signed Penn State forward Brandon Biro to a two-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Wednesday.
Biro, who captained the Nittany Lions for the 2019-20 season, recorded 25 points in 25 games as a senior.
"Brandon will bring a combination of skill, hockey sense, and character to our organization," Sabres general manager Jason Botterill said. "We're confident that his four years at Penn State with coach Gadowsky have prepared him well for the next phase of his development."
Biro attended Sabres development camp in 2018. The 22-year-old winger hails from Sherwood Park, Alberta.
The specifics of the ailment are unclear. MacKinnon exited during the second period against the Los Angeles Kings and did not return.
The Avalanche are primed to make the playoffs, but MacKinnon's absence is a devastating blow to their pursuit of the Central Division crown. Colorado is two points back of the St. Louis Blues for the top spot with a game in hand, but key skaters Mikko Rantanen, Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky, and starting goaltender Philipp Grubauer are also sidelined.
On a positive note, rookie sensation Cale Makar will return to the lineup Wednesday after missing five games with an upper-body injury.
MacKinnon is once again playing at an MVP-level this season, ranking fifth in league scoring with 93 points in 69 games.
Top-level professional hockey leagues in Germany (DEL) and Austria (EBEL) have canceled the remainder of their seasons due to the coronavirus outbreak in Europe, the IIHF confirmed Wednesday.
"We are incredibly sorry for all clubs, partners, and in particular the fans in entire Germany that we had to take this decision," DEL league manager Gernot Tripcke said. "However, due to the current development, we have the duty to deal responsibly with the situation. We as DEL put the health of our fans, players, and employees in focus."
The cancellations mark the first time since World War II that the German and Austrian leagues won't crown champions. The DEL regular season recently ended and the EBEL had started its playoffs before the countries implemented rules barring gatherings of more than 1,000 people.
"We experience an exceptional situation that hit many areas of our lives," EBEL league manager Christian Feichtinger said. "Even though the decision hurts, we saw it as our responsibility to make our contribution to return to normality as soon as possible. The decision to cancel the championship was taken together by the league board and the club representatives. A continuation of the championship in front of empty stands would not have been an option for us because our sport lives from emotions and the sensational atmosphere in the arenas."
The EBEL features eight teams from Austria and one from each of the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Italy - one of the countries worst affected by the outbreak.
Several other European leagues remain in action, but smaller ones in Poland, Slovakia, and Asia have also shut down.
The NHL is monitoring the situation as well. The San Jose Sharks face the prospect of playing in an empty arena when they return from their current road trip, while the league and the Columbus Blue Jackets decided to proceed with normal arena operations despite the recommendation of Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine for all sporting events to be played without spectators.
Abramov was drafted by Toronto in the fourth round (115th overall) in 2019.
The 18-year-old leads the QMJHL's Victoriaville Tigres with 76 points (35 goals) in 63 games this season. Abramov also recorded 10 points in 10 games while representing Russia at last year's world Under-18 tournament.
Boeser was diagnosed with a rib cartilage fracture on Feb. 18 and was initially expected to miss eight weeks. The 23-year-old winger ultimately missed 12 games. The Canucks managed a 5-6-1 record without him while also battling through an injury to starting goalie Jacob Markstrom.
Due to their recent slide, the Canucks enter Tuesday's action one point back of a wild-card spot and three points out of third place in the Pacific Division.
Boeser posted 16 goals and 29 assists in 56 games before being sidelined.
One day after Santa Clara County implemented a three-week ban on gatherings of more than 1,000 attendees due to coronavirus concerns, multiple San Jose Sharks players were asked about the possibility of playing their home games without a crowd.
"It would definitely be a weird feeling if that happens," forward Joe Thorntontold reporters "What's going right now, it's weird for everybody. So I think we're all confused like you guys are."
The Sharks are set to embark on a three-game road trip beginning Wednesday in Chicago. They'll return home March 19 for a tilt versus the Montreal Canadiens before two more contests at SAP Center on March 21 and March 29.
San Jose could opt to play at a neutral site or postpone the games if it elects not to host in an empty rink, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.
Santa Clara County reported Monday its first death due to the coronavirus, and cases in the area continue to rise.
All active major North American sports leagues (NHL, MLB, MLS, NBA) released a joint statement Monday restricting media access within locker rooms to help prevent the spreading of the virus.
Rielly was injured while blocking a shot on Jan. 12 against the Florida Panthers. The Leafs went 11-9-3 in his absence.
Toronto's defense corps is now getting closer to full health with the return of Rielly and Cody Ceci - who made his comeback Friday - but Jake Muzzin is still out with a broken hand suffered two weeks ago.
Tuesday's clash versus the Lightning will be massive in the Leafs' pursuit of a playoff spot. Following the Florida Panthers' win on Monday, Toronto holds a narrow one-point advantage for third place in the Atlantic Division with 13 games to go.
Rielly, 26, has appeared in 46 games this season, posting three goals and 24 assists while averaging over 24 minutes per contest.
