Return to Play: What it means for Wild, Minnesota

It's official: The 2019-20 NHL regular season has drawn to a close.

The dream of summer hockey, however, remains alive and well.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the League's Return To Play Plan on Tuesday and the Wild are one of 24 teams that will hit the ice, should the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic allow it.

If hockey returns this summer -- and that's still a giant if at this point -- Minnesota will play the Vancouver Canucks in a best-of-5 qualifying round series in one of two possible "hub cities."

"There are always going to be hurdles with something like this. We never really know what is going to change tomorrow," said Wild General Manager Bill Guerin. "But today was a great step. It gives us hope that this could actually happen. There's a ton of work still left to be done, there's a lot of questions that still have to be answered ... but all in all, a positive day and just excited to get some news like this."

There's plenty to unpack from everything Bettman announced on Tuesday, and plenty remains up in the air. Firstly, there is no guarantee that the season will resume. That will be left up to conditions on the ground and will involve guidance from local and federal officials.

But if it does, and Bettman said there is a strong desire from both fans and players, here is what it will look like:

Play will resume in two "hub cities," one will host the Western Conference teams while the other will have Eastern Conference clubs. Which two locales will serve as hub cities has yet to be determined, but the Twin Cities remain in the mix as one of 10 potential landing spots.

Other hub city candidates, as revealed by Bettman, include:

If the Twin Cities were selected as one of the two hub locations, it doesn't necessarily mean the Wild would have home ice advantage. In theory, the Eastern Conference clubs could play here too. It's all about trying to find the two safest, best-equipped cities to resume.

"I think it'd be great. It's the biggest, best hockey market in the country," Guerin said. "There are rinks all over the place, we've got a great arena, a great practice rink, there are hotels. It just matches up quick. I'm obviously biased, but I think it'd be a perfect fit."

The League is currently in "Phase One" of any return to action, with "Phase Two" consisting of small-group training inside team facilities. The hope is to advance to phase two by early June.

"Phase Three" is a formal training camp, which Bettman said is unlikely to occur prior to July 1, while "Phase Four" is a return to action.

Each club will be allowed 50 personnel in a hub city, with a small amount of support staff permitted in event areas. A comprehensive testing system will be in place.

What it means for the Wild

As noted above, if the season resumes, the Wild will play the Canucks in one of two hub cities.

Minnesota won two of three meetings between the teams this season, with the wins coming within 13 days in February. In the most recent matchup, the Wild kicked off its dad's trip with a 4-3 shootout victory, capped by Alex Galchenyuk's winning goal in the fifth round of the skills competition.

The Wild won 4-2 in St. Paul on Feb. 6, but lost 4-1 at Xcel Energy Center on Jan. 12.

Technically, it won't officially count as a playoff series. But the series will resume a once-intense intra-division rivalry that included a couple of postseason matchups, including Minnesota's 4-3 series win during the 2003 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

With four months off potentially between games, both clubs should enter the series with completely healthy rosters.

"They're a good team. They're young, they're talented, they're fast. They are exciting to watch," Guerin said. "I'm just excited we're in the mix and we have an opportunity. It's great."

Minnesota had just one long-term injury at the time the season was paused, as defenseman Carson Soucy was nursing an upper-body injury. He is healthy and ready to return to the lineup.

Bettman provided no details on what an expanded roster might look like, but if the Wild are allowed extra bodies for a postseason run, Iowa goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen, who sustained a wrist injury shortly before the stoppage, will be ready to go.

Kahkonen was named an AHL All-Star last week and on Tuesday, was named the league's

Goaltender of the Year

. He would provide excellent depth behind veterans Devan Dubnyk and Alex Stalock.

Sam Anas and Gerry Mayhew, each also named AHL All-Stars, as well as defenseman Brennan Menell -- among others -- would be candidates to fill an expanded roster. Each noted last week that they have been preparing physically as best they could for that eventuality.

"Those are things that are going to have to be negotiated as we go along," Guerin said. "Today was just a matter of getting that framework out there. I think there will be more detailed things to come."

Perhaps the biggest remaining question regarding the Wild's return to play is the status of forward Kirill Kaprizov.

Guerin

told Wild.com last week

that he is confident Kaprizov will sign this summer. At this point, it's unlikely the League will allow him to debut for Minnesota, thus, burning a year of his entry-level contract.

The NHL did not provide any immediate clarity on this, however, and it's believed the NHL Players Association is still bargaining for players like Kaprizov -- University of Minnesota Duluth defenseman and Hobey Baker Award winner Scott Perunovich of the St. Louis Blues is another example -- to be eligible to play this summer.

Regardless of what happens with rosters, should hockey return this summer, it will provide any of the 24 teams that would still be alive with a chance to hoist the Stanley Cup. While parity has become a trademark in the NHL, perhaps more so than any other professional sport, two dozen clubs will begin a sprint to the finish line, with momentum -- at least early on -- a complete non-factor.

It's unlike anything that has ever occured in the NHL and it's something Guerin said he's excited for the Wild to be a part of.

"I think it's one of those situations where you're going to get a team and they're going to get hot right away and kind of ride the wave," Guerin said. "I don't think teams will be spending as much time on their opponent as much as spending time on their game and what they're going to do.

"I think it's going to be more important to make sure that our team is prepared to do what we need to do and go out and play our game, rather than try to get some old video of Vancouver. That's the way I feel."