When the NHL paused the season on March 13, the thought of hoisting the Stanley Cup this season seemed like a pipe dream. But thanks to some out of the box thinking, the NHL proved the old show business adage that the show can go on.
By created a pair of hockey biospheres in Toronto and Edmonton, the league managed to keep the coronavirus in check as teams pursued their Cup dreams.
These self-contained bubbles featured everything the players could want. Well, almost everything. They were separated from their families for the early rounds, and fans in the stands were replaced by piped in crowd noises taken from the league's popular EA Sports NHL 20 video game. Digital fans were able to show their support on large video screens.
Because the league didn't have to worry about blocking the view of the fans in the stands, 32 cameras (12 more than usual) were placed in areas where they haven't been placed before, record TV audiences saw the game from vantage points never seen before.
Then again, that could be said about everything taking place this season.