When Does the NHL Season Resume?
The NHL season is set to resume on August 1st. Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming season.
Introduction
It’s been a long wait, but the NHL season is finally set to resume on August 1st.
After a nearly five-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHL will resume its 2019-20 season with a 24-team playoff format. The playoffs will take place in two hub cities: Edmonton, Alberta and Toronto, Ontario.
The NHL regular season was originally scheduled to end on April 4th, but was put on hold due to the pandemic. The league then announced that the Stanley Cup Finals would take place no later than October 4th.
With the Stanley Cup Playoffs set to begin next month, let’s take a look at when each round is scheduled to take place:
First Round (Best-of-5): August 1st – August 9th
Second Round (Best-of-7): August 11th – August 25th
Conference Finals (Best-of-7): August 27th – September 8th
Stanley Cup Finals (Best-of-7): September 10th – October 4th
The NHL Season
With the NHL season on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fans are wondering when the league will resume play.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the league is hoping to resume play in mid-May, but that date is contingent on a number of factors, including the guidance of health officials.
If the league is able to resume play in May, it is likely that the Stanley Cup playoffs would be pushed back from their usual start date in late April. The playoffs typically last about two months, so a mid-May start would mean the Stanley Cup would be awarded in early August.
Bettman said the league is exploring a number of scenarios for resuming play, including holding games without fans in attendance. He added that any decision on when and how to resume play will be made in consultation with health officials and government leaders.
The NHL Season Resumes
It’s official! The NHL season is set to resume on August 1st with training camps beginning July 13th.
The NHL announced on May 26th that the 24 teams that will be playing are the top 12 teams in each conference based on points percentage at the time of the pause. These teams will be joined by four other “play-in” teams in a round-robin tournament to determine seedings for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are then scheduled to begin August11th and will follow a traditional format with sixteen teams competing for the championship.
So get your hockey gear ready and mark your calendars, because the NHL is back!
Conclusion
The NHL season is set to resume on August 1st with the Stanley Cup Finals concluding no later than October 4th.
