How Many Games Will There Be in the NHL Season?

The NHL season is just around the corner, and fans are wondering how many games will be played. The answer may surprise you.

The NHL’s History with Shortened Seasons

The NHL has a long history of shortened seasons due to various reasons. The most recent reason being the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the NHL has been able to overcome these obstacles and still produce a quality product. Let’s take a look at how the NHL has been able to do this.

The 2012-2013 Season

The 2012–13 NHL season was the 96th season of operation (95th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). The regular season began on October 11, 2012, with the newly realigned Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs began on April 30, 2013, and ended on June 24, 2013, with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Boston Bruins four games to two in the Stanley Cup Finals.

This shortened season was a result of a negotiation between the NHL owners and players to end the NHL lockout that had cancelled all games from October 11, 2012 until January 13, 2013. As a result of the lockout, this season became the first since 1994–95 in which every team played fewer than 82 games. Consequently, this was also only first time since 1919–20 that no Stanley Cup champion was crowned in an 82-game season.

The 1994-1995 Season

The 1994-1995 NHL season was shortened to 48 games due to a lockout of the players by the owners. This was the only time in the history of the NHL that a season was shortened. The previous season had been for 82 games. The lockout began on October 1, 1994 and ended on January 11, 1995. The Stanley Cup was won by the New Jersey Devils.

Why a Shortened Season is Likely in 2021

The NHL is targeting a January 1 start date for the 2021 season, which would be a short season. The league is hoping to play around 48 games, which is down from the usual 82. This is due to the ongoing pandemic and the fact that many fans are still not allowed to attend games.

The Coronavirus Pandemic

The 2020-21 NHL season is in jeopardy due to the on-going coronavirus pandemic. The league is hoping to start the season in December, but a shortened season is looking increasingly likely.

As of November 2020, there have been no formal announcements about the upcoming season. However, it seems unlikely that the league will be able to start on time and play a full 82-game schedule. The NHL has said that they are hoping to start the season in December and that they are working on multiple contingency plans.

A shortened season would be a major disappointment for fans, but it may be the only option given the current circumstances. The NHL has not yet said how many games would be played in a shortened season, but it is likely that it would be less than 82.

The NHL’s TV Contracts

The NHL has a ten-year, $2 billion contract with NBC that runs through the 2020-21 season. That agreement includes rights to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Stanley Cup Final, Sunday afternoon games, and certain Stanley Cup Playoff games on other days of the week. NBC has two five-year options on the contract, which would extend it through the 2025-26 season.

The NHL also has a six-year contract with ESPN that runs through the 2021-22 season. That deal includes rights to Monday and Wednesday Night Hockey games, as well as coverage of the NHL All-Star Game and Skills Competition.

How Many Games Will There Be in a Shortened Season?

It’s looking like the NHL season will be shortened due to the coronavirus pandemic. So, how many games will there be in a shortened season? It’s hard to say for sure, but we can make an educated guess.

A 48-Game Season

The National Hockey League has a long history of operating through labor stoppages, including lockouts in 1994-95, 2004-05 and 2012-13, as well as a 48-day strike in 1992 that forced the cancellation of 36 games. The most recent lockout, in 2012-13, lasted 113 days and wiped out 526 games, or 42.8 percent of the season.

With that history in mind, it’s no surprise that the NHL is prepared to play a shortened season in 2020-21. Commissioner Gary Bettman said last week that the league is targeting a 48-game season if it can’t start on time because of the coronavirus pandemic. That would give the NHL plenty of time to crown a Stanley Cup champion before the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

“48 [games] seems to be about the right number,” Bettman said on a conference call with reporters last week. “It seems to be a number that allows us to drop the puck approximately where we would have originally been had we started on time.”

Bettman also said the league is considering other schedule formats if it has to start late, but didn’t go into specifics. He did rule out playing any regular-season games overseas, as the NBA did last season when it opened its season in China.

The NHL has not released its full schedule for 2020-21 yet, but it’s expected to be released later this month. The league is hoping to start its regular season on Dec. 1, but that date could be pushed back if negotiations with the NHL Players’ Association on a new collective bargaining agreement drag on.

A 56-Game Season

In a normal NHL season, each team plays 82 games.
But due to the ongoing pandemic, the 2020-2021 season will be shorter. So, how many games will there be in a shortened season?
It is looking likely that the season will be 56 games long.
This is good news for fans, as it means there will still be plenty of hockey to enjoy this winter.
It is also good news for players, as it means they will have less chance of getting injured during the season.
So far, the NHL has not released any official statement about the length of the upcoming season.
However, sources close to the league say that a 56-game season is being considered.
Nothing has been finalized yet, but it is looking like we can expect a shorter season this year.

What Will the Format of the Season Be?

The NHL has not released the official format of the 2020-21 season yet, but they have said that they are aiming for a 56-game schedule. This would be a shorter season than usual, but it would still allow for each team to play every other team twice.

A Conference-Only Season

The NHL is planning to hold a conference-only season this year in order to limit travel amid the coronavirus pandemic, multiple sources confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.

The NHL has been working on a plan to start the 2020-21 season on Jan. 1 and play approximately 48 games per team, sources said. One of the challenges the league has faced is finding a way to minimize travel given the current restrictions in place because of the pandemic.

One option that had been discussed was holding a regionalized schedule in which teams would only play games against teams in their own division or conference. But that plan was ultimately deemed too difficult to execute because of the time it would take to get all the teams into their respective regions and the increased risk of COVID-19 transmission that would come with more travel.

Instead, the NHL is planning to have each team play only against opponents in their own conference for the entire regular season. The league is still working out the details of how exactly the schedule will work, but it is expected to be released soon.

The NHL’s decision to go with a conference-only schedule will have a major impact on its TV partners. NBC Sports, which airs games on NBC and NBCSN, pays a rights fee of about $200 million per year and is in the midst of a 10-year deal that runs through 2025-26. Sources said NBC was informed of the NHL’s plans Tuesday morning and expressed strong interest in continuing its partnership with the league under these circumstances.

A Division-Only Season

The NHL is planning to have a division-only season in 2021 due to concerns about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with each team playing 56 games.

The league had originally hoped to start the season on Jan. 1, but that date is now in jeopardy because of the slow pace of negotiations between the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association on a new collective bargaining agreement.

If an agreement can’t be reached soon, it’s possible that the season will be delayed or even canceled.

How Will the Stanley Cup Playoffs Be Affected?

The NHL has announced that they are targeting a 52-game regular season. This is good news for fans of the sport, but it leaves us with a lot of questions. How will this affect the Stanley Cup playoffs? How many games will each team play?

A Conference-Only Stanley Cup Playoffs

The NHL is currently planning to have a conference-only Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 2020-21 season. This means that there would be no cross-over match-ups between teams in different conferences. The top four teams in each conference would qualify for the playoffs.

There are a few reasons why the NHL might choose to do this. First, it would limit travel, which is important during the pandemic. Second, it would allow the league to have all of its playoff games taking place in a limited number of cities, which would make it easier to control safety protocols and limit expenses.

It’s not yet clear how many games each team will play in the regular season, but it’s likely that it will be less than the usual 82. This is because the league wants to start the season later than usual (probably in January) and end it by July, in order to accommodate for the Olympics (which have been postponed until next year).

It’s possible that the NHL will release more information about its plans for next season in the coming weeks.

A Division-Only Stanley Cup Playoffs

It was recently announced that the NHL will be changing the format for their playoffs this year in order to reduce travel amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead of the usual 16 teams competing for the Stanley Cup, only the eight teams from each division will qualify. This news has caused some controversy among fans, as there are many talented teams that will not have a chance to win the Stanley Cup this year. However, many people believe that this decision was necessary in order to keep everyone safe during these unprecedented times.

The Stanley Cup playoffs are typically a very exciting time for hockey fans, as they get to watch their favorite teams compete for the ultimate prize. This year, however, the playoffs will look very different. Instead of 16 teams from all over the league competing against each other, only the eight teams from each division will be playing. This means that some very good teams will not even have a chance to win the Stanley Cup this year.

While some people are disappointed with this change, others believe that it is necessary in order to keep everyone safe during the Covid-19 pandemic. With so much uncertainty still surrounding the virus, it is important for the NHL to take precautions in order to protect their players and fans. By reducing travel and only allowing teams from one division to compete against each other, they are able to do just that.

No matter what side of the argument you are on, there is no denying that this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs will be unlike any other in history.

Conclusion

It is difficult to say how many games there will be in an NHL season as it depends on a number of factors, such as the number of teams, the length of the season, and whether or not there are any cancellations or postponements. However, we can make an educated guess based on past seasons. In the past 10 seasons, the average number of games per season has been just over 1,230. So, based on this information, we can expect there to be approximately 1,230 games in the upcoming NHL season.