Chirps from Center Ice

The 85th AHL season stated Friday. It’s off to a flying start already…

–

COVID protocols, and all that. Devils / Bears, scheduled for Friday, moved to February 17. Pens / Devils, scheduled for this Saturday, moved to Monday at 5.

Listen, this is an awful idea that they are forcing upon us. With major league sports, you can make it happen because of unlimited financial resources, among other reasons. The American Hockey League is the first minor league operation to attempt this. It isn’t going well. It’s not going to go well. It isn’t the first delay of a scheduled regular season game which has been canned. So far, you have:

• Tucson and San Jose, scheduled for Friday, straight up cancelled. No make up date.
• Tucson and San Jose, scheduled for Saturday, moved to Sunday.

I don’t want to hear it form anyone that says that this sorry attempt of a season is, “different” or “unique” or “challenging.” I think it’s bad, stupid, dangerous and selfish. It isn’t good for the League as a whole moving forward. It just isn’t. Three teams already (Charlotte, Milwaukee and Springfield) are not playing, and a host of others (Belleville, Toronto, Manitoba, Laval and Stockton (who will play their games out of Calgary) haven’t even started yet because their local Canadian governments won’t let them. Smart, if you ask me.

Anyone who sees it differently is either a team or league rep who wants to brainwash you into thinking otherwise or someone else too far into the forest to see the trees.

This isn’t the last postponement that the League is going to see, and certainly not the last postponement that Coal Street will make jointly with whatever team is on the schedule that day, weekend or coming week.

At some point there are too many holes in the boat for it to remain a safe sailing vessel. Eventually it will sink.

Maybe I am wrong, but there is a pattern here. And it isn’t a good one.

Out the door, Josh Currie was named Penguins captain Friday.