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Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares knows there isn't an easy answer when it comes to the NHL's options for playing out the 2019-20 season.
"I'm not sure I'm completely 100% sold on any format," Tavares said, according to Sports Illustrated's Alex Prewitt. "But the biggest thing is honoring the regular season as best as we can while still giving each team that deserves the opportunity, or still has an opportunity to make the playoffs, to be a part of that."
Tavares added: "It's difficult to determine the fairest way of going about it, with so many different variables that were out of your control, in terms of games teams have played, the opponents they have left to finish the season, how many home games."
The 2019-20 campaign was paused on March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many ideas for a potential return to action have been floated, while a modified 24-team playoff format has reportedly gained the most traction lately.
Tavares, alongside four other players - Connor McDavid, James van Riemsdyk, Ron Hainsey, and Mark Scheifele - are part of the NHL's Return to Play Committee that's been working with the league to figure out a plan.
Tavares confirmed that players do want to resume the season but that a number of factors must be taken into account, including the issue of separating those players from their families.
"Guys understand how fortunate we are to play a game for a living, and if we have that opportunity, we would be very excited about that, especially knowing the state the world is in, and the positivity that could bring back," Tavares said. "But, at the same time, the health and safety measures have to be at the highest of standards."
While Tavares knows things can change dramatically every day, he feels a "sense of urgency" to get a concrete plan in place so that players can have a better understanding of what a return would look like if the NHL gets the green light to resume.
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