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Vegas owner says without NHL fans in ’21 ‘a lot of teams can’t make it’

By J.J. Regan

Vegas owner says without NHL fans in ’21 ‘a lot of teams can’t make it’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

The Stanley Cup was awarded to the Tampa Bay Lightning after the NHL was able to set up and maintain a bubble environment in Toronto and Edmonton. Following that, there was a sense of optimism that the next season would not face quite as many challenges as the 2019-20 season. Just a few short weeks afterward, that optimism appears to have faded, at least with Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley.

The NHL has maintained its desire to hold an 82-game season and commissioner Gary Bettman said at the start of the NHL draft that the league was targeting a Jan. 1 start. Foley, however, is not sound quite so optimistic.

“Well, who knows if we’re going to be playing?” Foley said in an exclusive interview with KSHP Radio Las Vegas.

Since the coronavirus pandemic effectively shut down the country in March, everyone has been wondering when life will finally return to normal. Now in October, we are still left to wonder that same question. The NHL has to be conscious of that and the restrictions there will be on fan attendance when planning for next season.

But, for some teams, continuing to play in front of empty arenas is not financially viable.

“If we’re not playing to the fans, I don’t know if a lot of teams can make it,” Foley said. “Including us, it’s going to be very difficult. You’ll have to make a serious financial commitment to fund the team if we’re not playing in front of fans. I do not believe Gary Bettman is going to have us fly all around and play in front of empty arenas. There’s going to be another plan.”

If fan attendance is that important, a possible solution would be to simply delay the start of the 2020-21 season until there is more clarity on when fans could return to arenas. But, as Foley points out, the NHL is not working with an indefinite time frame.

“They have to finish the playoffs by the end of June because the Olympics are in July and NBC has the Olympics,” Foley said. “So we’ve got to be done with our season and all the playoffs sometime around the end of June.”

Foley also said he’s not sure about a Jan. 1 start date and believes we will see an “abbreviated season and an accelerated season.”

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“I think it’s less than 60 [games], I do,” Foley said. “I think it’s 48 or 56. And it’s going to be a lot of games quickly.”

An added complication for the NHL is the fact that the league is dealing with two countries and, right now, Canada’s border remains closed to most foreign nationals. That is a major issue for teams who have several players from other countries on their roster, for organizations whose prospects play for a team across the border and in terms of traveling across the border for games.

A possible solution to this that has been rumored is a “Canadian Division” in which the league changes its season format and all the Canadian teams are grouped in a single division.

Foley added some credence to that rumor by expressing his belief that the NHL will be forced into adopting this format.

“I don’t think that border’s going to be open before January 1st if it’s open January 1st,” Foley said. “I really don’t because Canada’s going through, they’ve got spikes going on and they’re starting to lockdown again. … I think they’re going to play a Canadian division. I don’t think they’re going to be crossing the border.”

That speaks to the heart of the real issue here, the unknown. We ultimately don’t know when there will be a vaccine for COVID-19, we don’t know when it will be widely available, we don’t know when cases will subside in either country and we don’t know when arenas will once again be able to pack the house to full capacity for sporting events.

But the NHL has to somehow come up with a plan to hold a hockey season among all the unknowns. It’s a mammoth challenge.

“There’s so much unknown,” Foley said. “We don’t know when we’re going to play, if we’re going to play. I know the commissioner’s dedicated to having a season and awarding the Stanley Cup, but you can’t play in bubbles. It’s impossible. You can’ do it. You can’t afford it.”

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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