NHL and NHLPA announce key dates for 2020-21 season
The National Hockey League and the NHL Players’ Association unveiled on Wednesday what health and safety protocols would be, regulations related to the 2020-21 season transition period, which include a schedule of dates most important of the season, as well as official changes to NHL Rule 83 (offside).
The health and safety protocols unveiled on Wednesday can be found by clicking on the links below.
* COVID-19 Protocol
* Protocol related to a positive test
* Travel protocol
The full text of the 2020-21 transition regulations can be found here.
Important dates for the 2020-21 season
December 31st – Launch of training camp for the seven teams that did not participate in the Stanley Cup playoffs (Anaheim, Buffalo, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Ottawa, San Jose)
January 3 – Launch of the training camp for the 24 other teams
January 13 – Start of the 2020-21 season
April 12 – Transaction deadline (3 p.m. ET)
May 8 – Last day of the season
* May 11 – Beginning of the playoffs
*July 9th – Possible last day of the Stanley Cup Final
July 17 – Deadline to submit the Protection List for the Expansion Draft (5 p.m. ET)
July 21 – Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft (8 p.m. ET)
July 23 – First round of the NHL Draft
July 24 – Rounds 2 to 7 of the Repechage
July 28 – Free agent market opens (12 p.m. ET)
* Subject to change
NHL Regulation 83 (offside)
Starting with the 2020-21 regular season, a player’s skate must not be in contact with the blue line in order not to cause an offside. The wording of NHL rule 83.1 has been changed to read as follows:
83.1 Offside – Players of the attacking team must not precede the puck into the attacking zone.
The position of the players’ skates, and not that of their stick, is the determining factor in calling an offside. A player is considered offside if both of his skates are entirely on the other side of the blue line involved in the action.
NEW – A player is not offside if one of his skates is in contact with the blue line, or if he is still on his side of the blue line, when the puck completely crosses the blue line. In order to be on their side of the blue line, a player’s skate may be above it. If a player’s skate has not yet crossed the blue line, and it is still over the blue line without having crossed it entirely, that player is not considered offside under this rule.
Video: Regulation changes 2020-21
