Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter is hoping for hockey to return regardless of which format the league chooses to go with.

"We're willing to do whatever," Suter said, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "We want to play. Our team was really playing well down the stretch here, and we want to see if we can continue that."

The Wild were one of the league's hottest teams in the month before the pause, winning eight of their last 11 games while clawing their way back into the playoff hunt. They currently sit just one point behind the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

"This year has been such an emotional roller coaster," Suter said. "We started out terrible. ... We battled back and went through ups and downs, and to finally be in a position to have an opportunity to make the playoffs says a lot about our group."

The veteran defenseman also pointed to his age, 35, as another reason he hopes to get a shot at the Stanley Cup this season.

"Guys only get to do this for so long," Suter added. "I've been fortunate. I've been able to do it for longer than the average. So, yeah, at any age I think you want to play, and you don't want to lose these opportunities."

Suter added that it would be "disappointing" if the season ends without a proper conclusion due to "where we were at the start of the year to where we are now."

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Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour hinted he's starting to focus on next year with this season's status up in the air.

"We're kind of looking at it a little differently, I think our management and owners kind of right away told us this was going to be something a little more long term so we kind of looked at it as our offseason," Brind'Amour said in a video conference call Friday, according to NHL.com's Adam Kimelman. "So we're kind of preparing actually for the draft a little bit, looking at stuff like that."

At the time of the pause on March 12, the Hurricanes occupied the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Brind'Amour understands his team will need to ramp-up fast if play were to resume.

"Make sure our guys are staying safe first and then if we get any inkling that maybe we’re coming back on the horizon soon, I think we’ll change gears," Brind'Amour added. "Right now, we’re kind of preparing for next year in a lot of ways."

Brind'Amour also took time to thank the frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 crisis and hopes fans continue to do their part.

"I think No. 1, it shouldn't take a crisis like this to kind of realize how important certain people are in the world - our medical staff, just a real shoutout to them and all they're doing," Brind'Amour added. "Hopefully we'll get this behind us soon but we've all got to do our part, that's the key. So stay safe to everyone and let's get hockey back soon and safe."

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Cities and venues across North America have started pitching themselves as potential hosts for neutral-site NHL playoff games, deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski and Emily Kaplan on Friday.

"We do have people putting together the comprehensive laundry list of what we would need from facilities and evaluating some facilities on some level," Daly said. "But I can't tell you we've even finished creating a list (of potential sites), much less narrowed it down."

Locations that have been reported so far include Grand Forks, North Dakota; Manchester, New Hampshire; and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

It's unclear what a potential return of hockey would look like for 2019-20. Among the options being discussed are playing out the regular season, jumping into the playoffs immediately, or even modifying the playoff format to include more teams or make series shorter.

"I've always had the caveat that everything is on the table and nothing is out of the question," Daly said. "I would say there would be a strong opposition to ever creating a playoff where it was a single elimination. I think best-of-three is more possible, not preferred, but more possible than a best-of-one scenario."

Daly added that he's aware of several concerns that could arise if the league does resume its season during the coronavirus pandemic.

"My sense of the players is that they're very anxious to return. Obviously, they want to be healthy and safe," Daly said. "If a particular player had a particular concern, we've had similar situations in the past and we as a league have been sensitive and receptive to that situation. Obviously, if it becomes too widespread, then it becomes more problematic in terms of our ability to get back. But that will be handled up front."

While a return to the ice is the goal, Daly also indicated that the top priority for the league is "what is safe and is going to protect the health and well-being of our players and obviously the general public."

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Cities and venues across North America have started pitching themselves as potential hosts for neutral-site NHL playoff games, deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski and Emily Kaplan on Friday.

"We do have people putting together the comprehensive laundry list of what we would need from facilities and evaluating some facilities on some level," Daly said. "But I can't tell you we've even finished creating a list (of potential sites), much less narrowed it down."

Locations that have been reported so far include Grand Forks, North Dakota; Manchester, New Hampshire; and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

It's unclear what a potential return of hockey would look like for 2019-20. Among the options being discussed are playing out the regular season, jumping into the playoffs immediately, or even modifying the playoff format to include more teams or make series shorter.

"I've always had the caveat that everything is on the table and nothing is out of the question," Daly said. "I would say there would be a strong opposition to ever creating a playoff where it was a single elimination. I think best-of-three is more possible, not preferred, but more possible than a best-of-one scenario."

Daly added that he's aware of several concerns that could arise if the league does resume its season during the coronavirus pandemic.

"My sense of the players is that they're very anxious to return. Obviously, they want to be healthy and safe," Daly said. "If a particular player had a particular concern, we've had similar situations in the past and we as a league have been sensitive and receptive to that situation. Obviously, if it becomes too widespread, then it becomes more problematic in terms of our ability to get back. But that will be handled up front."

While a return to the ice is the goal, Daly also indicated that the top priority for the league is "what is safe and is going to protect the health and well-being of our players and obviously the general public."

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New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal isn't in a rush to discuss his contract with the current season still in limbo.

"I don't think there's been too much communication (with Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello), and not because there's anything negative or anything, it's just Lou's getting ready for a playoff run right now, and I'm still worried about this season as well," Barzal said, according to NHL.com's Brian Compton. "I'm not too too worried about it, just because I don't think the season is over yet. I think we're still going to be playing."

Barzal is set to be a restricted free agent this offseason. Lamoriello said in March that the Islanders are prepared to match any offer sheet given to the dynamic forward.

With the Islanders in the playoff picture, he is still anticipating having a chance to return to the ice this season. However, he does admit the ball is also in Lamoriello's court to get things rolling on working out an extension.

"There's bigger things we've got to worry about right now in terms of heading to the playoffs this year. But at the same time, whenever we're ready to sit down and get it done, I'd love for that to happen," Barzal added. "At the same time, I'm not a person that's just going to rush this thing or get nervous about it or whatever. I'm just going about my day, and it'll happen when it happens."

The 22-year-old, who was taken 16th overall in 2015, is in the final year of his entry-level contract. He's amassed 59 goals and 207 points in 234 games with the Islanders and took home the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie in 2017-18.

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Florida Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky was the first NHL player who made a donation to support part-time arena workers during the league's hiatus - a donation he believes was necessary.

"I tried to do the right thing," Bobrovsky said Tuesday, according to NHL.com's Nick Cotsonika. "The workers in the arena, they're a big part of our event, and they're a big part of our support, and there was the risk for them to lose their job and don't have the possibility to feed their family.

"Right now, it's a tough time for everybody, for the whole world, and for hockey as well."

After the season was paused on March 12, the Panthers star donated $100,000 to support BB&T Center's part-time employees. He also recently donated thousands of N95 masks to South Florida hospitals.

Meanwhile, Bobrovsky is quarantining at home and trying to stay ready for game action.

"For a goalie it's a little bit harder to train alone, especially (off) the ice," he said. "You need somebody to shoot on you. You need to see the puck, to read the players and stuff like that. At this point, at this moment, I don't have that possibility, so I can only build my body to be strong, to be fast, to be quick."

Bobrovsky added that he's attempting to use the time off as an opportunity to get better. The 31-year-old struggled in his first season with the Panthers, putting together a 23-19-6 record with a 3.23 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage before the hiatus.

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Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving is still optimistic about a return to the ice this season.

"We remain hopeful that at some point we'll be able to see what this team can accomplish if and when we get back together," Treliving said on a video conference call Tuesday, according to The Canadian Press.

Treliving added that while he hopes for a return to hockey, he understands that it isn't a top priority in the world right now.

"What we're doing is way down on the list of important things. I've got family members, nieces and aunts, that are in the medical community," Treliving said. "The people on the front lines, we want to recognize them both in our city, our province, throughout the country, and globally."

While reflecting on where Calgary stood prior to the league's hiatus, Treliving noted that the Flames were in third place in the Pacific Division, four points behind the Edmonton Oilers, and were scheduled to finish their season against their provincial rivals last Saturday.

"It's not lost on us Saturday night would have been a big night, the conclusion of the regular season and the final Battle of Alberta," Treliving said. "I'm sure there would have been lots of implications with that game and certainly leading up to start this week with the playoffs."

Commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday that there is a possibility the regular season may not be completed, but that the league is still weighing its options amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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NHL commissioner Gary Bettman would like to complete the 2019-20 regular season once games are allowed to resume, but he's unsure if that option will still be on the table.

"The best thing - and the easiest thing - would be if at some point we could complete the regular season and then go into the playoffs as we normally do," Bettman told NBC Sports on Tuesday. "We understand that that may not be possible and that's why we're considering every conceivable alternative to deal with whatever the eventuality is.

"Again, it doesn't even pay to speculate because nobody in any of the sports knows enough now to make those profound decisions."

When the NHL postponed play on March 12, every team had 14 or fewer games remaining in the regular season. On Tuesday, Bettman acknowledged that going straight to the playoffs could be unfair to bubble teams that believe they should have a shot to qualify.

The commissioner added that while he's hopeful about salvaging the season, he understands the complexity of the situation at hand.

“Our first focus is keeping everybody healthy and safe,” Bettman said. “We want to get back to playing for our fans, and for the love of the game, as soon as it makes sense and is safe to do so.”

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A third Colorado Avalanche player tested positive for COVID-19, the NHL announced Tuesday. The player is self-isolating and hasn't had close contact with other Avalanche players or staff.

Eight players in the league have now tested positive, with five on the Ottawa Senators and three on the Avalanche.

Last week, the NHL reportedly extended its self-quarantine period for players and staff until April 15.

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Hall of Fame defenseman Paul Coffey had to play through some of the hardest hitting days of the NHL. As a fan of what today's game has turned into, he's still yearning for the grittiness to return.

"The one thing I wish - and can I say again I love watching the game, it's great - I wish there was more hitting," Coffey said on Sportsnet's "Writer's Bloc" podcast. "I wasn't a hitter, but I’ll tell you what, if I had my proverbial head up my rear-end one game and I wasn't into it and somebody hit me, it certainly woke me up real fast. I think that part of the game is gone."

Coffey further explained his reasoning for wanting the bigger hits to return.

"You put traffic, you start hitting guys, game gets a lot more interesting," he added. "The real players come out to play, the real players know how to think in traffic and that was an exciting part of the game that I don't know if it'll ever come back."

Coffey, 58, ranks second among defensemen all time in goals, assists, and points, racking up 396 goals and 1,531 points in 1,409 career games. He also holds the record for the most goals by a defenseman in a season, popping in 48 in 1985-86.

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