Satan: "With the current situation, the season may not start"
According to Miroslav Šatan, the next season of Slovakian Extraliga is in danger.
Former star Miroslav Šatan, currently the President of the Slovak Ice Hockey Association, told the TASR News Agency the next season of Slovakian Tipsport League would not even have to start, due to measures to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, which have reduced the number of people in the arenas from June 10 to a maximum of 500 people and from July the First to the end of the year to a maximum of 1,000 people. The decision that the restriction would last until the end of the year was criticized by several clubs from various sports, one of the loudest one was hockey. The two most important clubs, HC Slovan Bratislava and HC Košice, stated that such a measure would be devastating for them.
"The clubs have already made it clear that if the rule of 1,000 spectators were valid in September or October, our professional league is at risk. I do not want to spread any alarms here, but with this scenario the league probably won't start" - said Šatan "I believe that some compromise solution will be found, we still have enough time and perhaps
this issue will be reconsidered and will be the subject of negotiations
with the security authorities."
"We have been in contact with the Ministers of Finance, there are some suggestions and we are looking for a solution. Our clubs need to know these things in order to prepare for the season because at moment all the clubs are having financial problems and we will see how many will eventually enter the competitions." stressed the President - "Although I can't imagine now that the season can't start, but I couldn't even imagine that the NHL could be stopped and it happened"