There is still hope that hockey can return at some point this year and, if that’s the case, finding motivation again shouldn’t be a problem for the Vegas Golden Knights.
The entire sports world is on lockdown and there is no clear date for when the Vegas Golden Knights and the rest of the NHL may be able to resume the 2019-20 regular season, if at all.
Granted, there have been a bevy of proposals put forward, and you can read some of them below, but nothing is concrete right now and the National Hockey League, like the rest of the world, will be dictated to by health authorities and COVID-19 itself.
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From finishing the regular-season to jumping into an expanded 24-team playoff format, the ideas are certainly out there in regards to how hockey could return this year.
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But, as is the case in everyday life, there are a plethora of obstacles that will stand in the way of any of the major sports leagues resuming this year.
And there will also be concerns if sports do return at some point this year, including the motivation levels of certain teams.
There is a solid argument to make that teams not involved in the Stanley Cup Playoffs will find it incredibly hard to get themselves up for however many regular-season games the NHL will try to cram in.
That is understandable for teams like the Detroit Red Wings, the LA Kings and the Ottawa Senators who will have very little to play for and will need to try and motivate themselves for dead-rubber games after a long hiatus.
It shouldn’t be a problem for the Golden Knights, however.
No matter what shape the regular season takes, should it return, the Knights will know they have the postseason to gear up for and that should be their driving force to get back into the swing of things following a sustained stoppage.
Built to win now, the Golden Knights will have the chance to lift the Stanley Cup should hockey return at some point this year, and that should be motivation enough.
As such, Vegas could approach any regular-season games put in-front of them as valuable exercises to shake off the rust and rediscover their mojo ahead of the most important time of the year.
Then, once the playoffs begin, the Golden Knights should have no problem finding motivation given the holy grail that could be waiting at the end of a golden path for them.
After all, the Knights have been grinding all year long with the sole goal of becoming a rare breed as one of three expansion teams to win a major championship within their first five years of existence, the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA in 1970-71 and the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001 being the other two.
That alone should be a huge driving force for the Golden Knights and, as such, finding that motivation to go again if hockey does resume shouldn’t be a problem.