News – Key dates for NHL resumption

As long as the agreement in principle for the resumption of the NHL is not ratified between the players and the owners (see also our news), the schedule set out below is not guaranteed. The same would apply if we had to decide to postpone the start of the season by a few days / weeks because of the Covid. But basically, the NHL season should look like this:

December 31st :
Start of training camp for the seven teams that did not take part in the summer 2020 playoff tournament.

January 3 :
Beginning of the training camp of the 24 other formations.

January 13 :
Beginning of the season. We’re talking about a 56-game schedule.

Half April :
The date of the last day to make transactions is not determined. However, in the two seasons cut short by the lockout, it had been set 26 days (2013) and 27 days (1995) before the last game of the campaign. Following the same logic, the next transaction deadline would be April 12 or 13.

May 8 :
Target date for the last matches of the season.

Week of May 9 :
Start of the playoffs in the usual formula (« best-of-seven« ).

First week of July :
Presentation of the Stanley Cup. This will be the first time in history that this trophy will be awarded in July.

In its stimulus package, the NHL will rearrange its divisions in hopes of limiting travel and, in the case of the seven Canadian teams, preventing them from crossing the Canada-U.S. Border. In the same vein, it would be a question of staying several days in the same city and playing several matches there in a short period of time.

Unlike the relaunch tournament, played in bubbles, each team will host its matches. Spectators will not be admitted, at least in the first phase of the calendar, the NHL said in a statement.

If things got worse, the NHL does not rule out bringing the divisions together in neutral site (s) to reduce travel and the risk of infection.

Thus, if the proposed schedule of 56 matches were adopted, the composition of the League’s divisions would be as follows:

Division 1 (North):
Calgary / Ottawa / Winnipeg / Vancouver / Toronto / Edmonton / Montreal

Division 2 (East) :
Boston / New Jersey / NY Islanders / Buffalo / NY Rangers / Pittsburgh / Philadelphia / Washington

Division 3 (Central):
Caroline / Columbus / Florida / Dallas / Calgary / Chicago / Nashville / Tampa Bay

Division 4 (Where is) :
Anaheim / Arizona / Colorado / Los Angeles / Minnesota / Saint Louis / Las Vegas / San jose