New CBA among issues as NHL tackles safely resuming play
Brayden Mcnabb was asked this week what issue is primarily on his mind as the NHL works to resume the season, and the Golden Knights defenseman wasn’t sure where to begin.
“That’s a tough question,” he said. “There’s a lot of uncertainty right now.”
Mcnabb and the other members of the NHL Players’ Association have more to consider at the moment than simply voting on whether to complete the season.
In addition to protocols for training camp (Phase Three) and the 24-team postseason tournament (Phase Four), the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic necessitated that the collective bargaining agreement be reworked.
All those items, plus others such as shifting the critical dates on the NHL calendar (ie: the start of free
was served.
But what once were turbulent waters have since become a placid sea for the elder stock car statesman.
He has a new wife and lease on life, and the only news he makes these days is good news. Such as Sunday, when he will drive in his 700th Cup Series race during the first NASCAR-INDYCAR doubleheader at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
No driver among NASCAR’S current crop has driven in more, and only 15 are ahead of him on the alltime list. Nine have been voted into the sport’s hall of fame, if you’re wondering what’s up the track for Busch.
But with another season behind the wheel of Chip Ganassi’s No. 1 Chevrolet yet to run on his contract, it’s 699 starts and counting. To Busch, this comes as a bigger surprise than when a journeyman driver named Jimmy Spencer drove him into the wall at the venerable Brickyard during the onset of The Squabbles.
Credittodad
“It’s amazing,” Busch, 41, said during a virtual press conference. “To have this opportunity and to have been blessed to have raced with so many great race teams over the years; just making it past the local track was something I thought was an achievement, because my dad was a local racer.”
Tom Busch might have been every bit as good — if not better — than his two racing offspring. But in his day, a guy who didn’t grow up south of the Mason-dixon line had to be named A.J. or Mario or Parnelli if he wanted to drive with the good ol’ boys.
“He won a lot,” Kurt said of his father who now lives close to him on the placid sea — Lake Norman near Charlotte, North Carolina. “But it was like money, sponsors and the whole challenge of even getting to the Southwest Tour and Late Model division, that was even tough for us.
“So it’s amazing. Twenty years of racing at the top series and now having 700 starts, I never would have guessed.”
That No. 700 — Richard Petty leads with 1,185 starts, and Busch