diff --git a/src/hls.ts b/src/hls.ts
index 1996c466121..643672669f6 100644
--- a/src/hls.ts
+++ b/src/hls.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ export default class Hls implements HlsEventEmitter {
   public readonly userConfig: Partial<HlsConfig>;
 
   private coreComponents: ComponentAPI[];
-  private networkControllers: NetworkComponentAPI[] | undefined;
+  private networkControllers: NetworkComponentAPI[];
 
   private _emitter: HlsEventEmitter = new EventEmitter();
   private _autoLevelCapping: number;
@@ -282,15 +282,12 @@ export default class Hls implements HlsEventEmitter {
     this.removeAllListeners();
     this._autoLevelCapping = -1;
     this.url = null;
-    if (this.networkControllers) {
-      this.networkControllers.forEach((component) => component.destroy());
-      this.networkControllers = undefined;
-    }
-    if (this.coreComponents) {
-      this.coreComponents.forEach((component) => component.destroy());
-      // @ts-ignore
-      this.coreComponents = null;
-    }
+
+    this.networkControllers.forEach((component) => component.destroy());
+    this.networkControllers.length = 0;
+
+    this.coreComponents.forEach((component) => component.destroy());
+    this.coreComponents.length = 0;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -341,9 +338,6 @@ export default class Hls implements HlsEventEmitter {
    */
   startLoad(startPosition: number = -1) {
     logger.log(`startLoad(${startPosition})`);
-    if (!this.networkControllers) {
-      throw new Error('Cannot call `startLoad()` on destroyed instance of hls');
-    }
     this.networkControllers.forEach((controller) => {
       controller.startLoad(startPosition);
     });
@@ -354,11 +348,9 @@ export default class Hls implements HlsEventEmitter {
    */
   stopLoad() {
     logger.log('stopLoad');
-    if (this.networkControllers) {
-      this.networkControllers.forEach((controller) => {
-        controller.stopLoad();
-      });
-    }
+    this.networkControllers.forEach((controller) => {
+      controller.stopLoad();
+    });
   }
 
   /**