Wear a mask—and social distance 1000 miles away.

That’s essentially the message the NHL delivered to members of the media who are preparing to cover the league’s Stanley Cup Playoffs that are tentatively scheduled to begin in Edmonton and Toronto, Canada on Aug. 1. 

Due to COVID-19 and for the safety of NHL players, coaches, and other team personnel, this year’s playoffs will look dramatically different from previous seasons. Twenty four teams, the the top 12 in the Eastern and Western Conferences respectively, will compete in two “bubbles”—one in Edmonton and one in Toronto. These bubbles will consist of hotels, rinks, and other day-to-day necessities that will be exclusive to players and a limited number of team and league staff. Fans will not be allowed to attend games, and another group that will be notably absent: reporters and local broadcasters. With the exception of announcers from NBC and CBC (Canadian Broadcast Corporation), a small number of invited media representatives that is still to be determined, and one content producer from each team, the games will be covered by professional journalists on Zoom calls and watching games on television like the rest of us. Perhaps most interestingly, play-by-play will be delivered from studios across Canada and the United States, with local team broadcasters calling the action by watching a live game feed provided by the league.

“I don’t see it necessarily as a problem in the immediate term,” said Alex Faust, play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Kings. “I think over the long haul there could be a temptation to look at cost savings by not sending as many people [to road games] and say, ‘Well, if we can get by without that, then why don’t we just make that our default operation going forward?’ The big question for me is when do we sacrifice quality in the name of cost savings?”

While Faust admits that doing play-by-play in a remote studio hundreds or even thousands of miles away may cause broadcasters to “hedge a little bit more and not be as descriptive” because are limited to only what they can see on the screen, the biggest downside he sees to remote broadcasting is the loss of human connection.

“Having relationships with players and team personnel is so important,” Faust said. “I think there are sacrifices we’re willing to make in the short term, but once we’re through this [pandemic period] and the next two years, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find anybody in the business who would feel okay being left behind.” 

That sentiment is especially true for writers who depend on those relationships to help develop the stories that go beyond what happens on the ice. While reporters will be able to ask questions via Zoom, it appears that who they get to talk to, when, and for how long will be controlled by the teams and the league. There is hope that one-on-one remote interviews will take place, but the belief is that most access will be done press-conference style with all members of the media simultaneously hearing every question and answer. Gone are the hotel lobby, locker room, or post practice face-to-face exchanges that so often provide unique access for a journalist.

“It’s just those conversations, those chats, maybe they inspire you and lead you down a road for a story idea,” said Fluto Shinzawa, senior writer for The Athletic who covers the Boston Bruins and, like most beat reporters, has not been invited to Edmonton or Toronto. “Those are just critical to doing the job right. And when we’re talking about depth and breadth of stories, that’s the bread and butter.”

Boston Globe reporter Matt Porter also covers the Bruins and is hoping that if the team makes the Eastern Conference or the Stanley Cup Finals he will be able to attend those games, noting that conversations are still taking place with the league as to if and how that could become a possibility. A big factor in that decision will be how well the NHL can keep COVID-19 out of the bubble and what additional protocols might be needed to allow more people in. Porter, like Shinzawa, is expecting “a lot of Zooms” and planning to use other means such as contacting sources such as agents, family members, and even “friends of friends” to develop compelling storylines and content.

“It certainly is going to be tougher,” Porter said. “We’re seeing different levels of participation from teams in the league. I am fortunate to have the advantage of pre-existing relationships.”

Even for the chosen few from the major networks and teams who have been or will be invited to the NHL’s inner sanctum locker room access will be closed and one-on-one conversations will be controlled—if even allowed at all— due to the coronavirus. Katie Schmeichel, a producer for the Las Vegas Golden Knights, will be accompanying the team to Edmonton to create video and audio for updates on social media and to help production crews back in Nevada. She will be tested for COVID-19 prior to her arrival and expects to be tested every 48 hours at least. Although she will have access to players and coaches and most likely will be able to attend games, she too recognizes there will be challenges.

“I really don’t know what to expect when we get out there,” Schmeichel said. “I’m trying to think of it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m trying not to let myself get into the weeds on how this is going to be.”

It is important to note that unlike Shinzawa and Porter, Schmeichel is not a member of the media but, rather, an employee of the team. The NHL has prioritized allowing producers and social media contributors who have an allegiance to the league versus beat reporters and other members of the media that are fighting to get uncensored information to the fans. While reporters may respect the league’s decision they still have concerns.

“Obviously I don’t like it,” Porter said. “There’s nothing to like. With that said, I understand it to a degree. The NHL has a lot on the line. They are trying to limit the scope of what they have to watch out for. They don’t want to have to test every single reporter.”

It is true that as more people enter the bubble, the risk of someone contracting COVID-19 the logistical steps and costs associated with testing increase. Although the NHL has told the Professional Hockey Writers Association that access will be resumed once it is safe to do so, Porter notes that severely restricting media access appears to reflect a bigger trend across the NHL. 

“There has been a shift for the past few years,” Porter said. “Some teams would prefer to control the message completely. There are teams out there that want to own the content; they want to dominate the discussion. That’s not realistic.”

When the puck drops on Aug. 1 the seats will be empty, local announcers will be thousands of miles away in remote studios, and reporters will be logging into Zoom meetings to maximize what limited access they will have. 

“It’s a strange time. You just have to get used to it,” Porter said. “I just hope I don’t have to get too used to it.”