Sunday night’s game between Utah and Toronto almost took a bit longer to start after Utah had some delays getting to the arena.
Normally the NHL has no issues when it comes to games starting on time. Sure, sometimes there may be a special ceremony of some kind, or a presentation that delays the game a bit, but more often than not both teams are still present.
That normality was nearly tested by some notorious Toronto traffic, as the Utah HC had some difficulties getting to the arena with their bus being stuck in gridlock.
While this is a bizarre incident that could have been an issue, it’s not the first time that games have been delayed or potentially delayed.
How A Traffic Delay Could Be Problematic
Well first of all, it’s frustrating to sit in a standstill regardless if you’re a pro athlete or a regular ol’ Johnny on the block. But more importantly, it has to do with the intricacies of getting to the arena early enough to be physically and mentally prepared for the game.
The NHL grind is no joke, and the fact these athletes are already traveling across the continent, and sometimes the world, it can get exhausting.
The last thing a team wants is to be stuck in traffic and lose precious time, because time is money and the NHL is a business.
It doesn’t only mess with the players, but it messes with the entire infrastructure of how the NHL does business.
If a game is delayed unexpectedly, and the league runs into problems with broadcasting because they can’t start on time, it’s a potential to lose millions of dollars in ad revenue because of how networks schedule commercial breaks during games.
Lastly, it messes with the fans who are the lifeblood of the NHL. Many fans are children, people with jobs, people with schedules who put aside a few precious hours to go see a game and if they end up waiting a long time for the game to start, it’ll sour the mood regardless of excitement.
Q1: Why did the Utah/Toronto game nearly get delayed?
A1: The game between both teams was nearly delayed because Utah’s team bus got stuck in Toronto traffic, and with no other option the team walked to the arena.
Q2: How does a delay affect the players?
A2: A delay getting to the arena affects the players because they are unable to properly prepare and get ready in time for the game. There are a lot of factors that go into preparing for an NHL game, and many of them involve needing to be at the arena for an extended period (workouts, meetings, etc.)
In closing, the Utah HC nearly ended up getting to their game against the Maple Leafs later than usual because Toronto traffic kept their bus in gridlock for so long, the team had no choice but to walk to Scotiabank Arena.