Bubble Hockey

With the new season just under a month away, one wonders what each team’s training camp will look like.

The NHL returned to a massive tournament to crown a champion and so far in the few weeks teams have been in a bubble, zero cases have been reported for players in Toronto and Edmonton.

Would the QMJHL be open to bubble preseason tourneys before the regular season kicks off October 1?

Two years ago, the Wildcats hosted a summer showcase. Could that idea be back on the table for the end of training camp? There would be limited travel, which would allow for a bubble to be formed; teams could isolate in hotels on a floor and to the rink while getting games in?

Taking a look at training camps this season, teams will be able to invite 34 players, down from the 60 players they can usually invite. This is to limit the amount of everything needed: space in the arena, billet families, quarantine efforts in general.

With a usual camp, your first wave of invitees are usually free agents, NCAA-pondering players and organizational rookies, as the veterans report later on in camp. There are typically a few games earlier with these players, allowing them to be seen against other Q teams.

As the vets return to the fold, the cuts are tougher, as the preseason games get a little faster, tighter and better as the regular season approaches.

With a dramatically reduced roster available to pick from, that ultimately limits the amount of games for preseason. Considering a 34-man training camp roster, that would only allow for around nine cuts.

So, why not a mini three-game preseason bubble? This would limit travel for Q teams that are unsure of their potential revenue for the upcoming season.

For example, if we use Moncton, the Avenir Centre and the Superior Propane Centre can host games. Three teams could play at Avenir and have three teams at the Superior Propane Centre using all dressing rooms to have teams stay in rooms over the weekend.

Even further to that, the Superior Propane Centre has many dressing rooms, connected to other rinks in the building. Teams could use those rooms to stay isolated while still playing games.

Teams could all split the hotel cost with one team per floor and they would go from rink to hotel and back over a three-day weekend of games.

Is this something that’s going to happen? Likely not.

But it would be fun to think about.

And let’s be honest, we’re just happy to be talking about QMJHL preseason hockey.