Gary Bettman and the NHL might have no choice but to cancel Bruins season opener

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Daniel Lucente
October 8, 2024 (2:08 PM)

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The NHL and Gary Bettman are very close to making a final decision on whether the Bruins season opener in Miami, Florida will be canceled due to the hurricane.

The Boston Bruins are gearing up to take the ice Tuesday in their first regular season game with their goaltender Jeremy Swayman against the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers. It will be in Florida, and it should be a great competition, as the two teams played an intense second-round playoff series last year that saw the Panthers win in seven games.

This is a matchup that has been highly salivated for, and Boston is still looking to get the bad taste of that playoff loss out of their mouths. Many expect a team like the Bruins to come out with something to prove, whereas the Panthers fresh off their championship win will look to start authority in the season. But truly, the outcome of the game is cloudy at best, as there is one glaring issue that could keep the teams from even taking the ice.

It is forecasted that Hurricane Milton will hit Florida in the next few days, maybe bringing extremely bad weather. The Bruins have already left for Florida in advance of the game, but the safety concerns of the fans, with regard to this bad weather, have given a reason for the NHL and Commissioner Gary Bettman to consider its postponement. The only right thing to do, if the conditions get worse, is to delay the game.

Word is now, though, that the NHL will have an announcement later today on whether the game goes off as scheduled. That leaves fans on edge, specifically the Panthers' supporters who had to cancel their Stanley Cup ring ceremony because of the weather. Opening night for sure is exciting, but safety still remains the number one priority with this league.

All the fans ready to see their teams take to the ice would surely be disappointed if the two games were postponed, but it's a no-brainer that keeping thousands of on-lookers and players safe from unsafe weather is an absolute priority. And now, everybody waits and watches as the NHL nears a final decision.