When Will the NHL Resume?

Get the latest update on when the NHL will resume and what the new schedule will look like.

Introduction

It has been over two months since the NHL paused the 2019-20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On May 26, the NHL and NHLPA agreed to a framework to resume the season. The agreement includes a 24-team playoff format, which will see each conference play in two hub cities.

The playoff format will be as follows:
-The top four seeds in each conference will play each other in a round-robin tournament to determine seeding for the first round of the playoffs.
-The bottom eight seeds in each conference will compete in a best-of-five play-in series, with the winners advancing to the first round of the playoffs.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said he is hopeful that training camps could open in early July, with games starting shortly after.

It is still unclear which cities will serve as hub cities, or when exactly the playoffs will start. However, Bettman said he is confident that the season will be completed and awards will be handed out.

The NHL’s Current Situation

It’s been over two months since the NHL paused their season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While other leagues have been able to resume or are in the process of resuming, the NHL has yet to make a concrete plan. Let’s take a look at the NHL’s current situation and try to determine when they might resume.

The NHL’s COVID-19 Protocols

The NHL has released its COVID-19 protocols in order to ensure the safety of players and staff as the league looks to resume play. The guidelines were put in place following the advice of medical experts and will be reviewed on a regular basis.

All players and staff will be tested for COVID-19 prior to training camp and then daily during the season. Anyone who tests positive will be isolated and monitored by team medical staff.

Players will be required to wear masks at all times when they are not on the ice. They will also have to maintain social distancing whenever possible. In the locker room, players will have assigned stalls that are six feet apart from each other.

There will be no fans in attendance for games, but there will still be some noise piped in to create a more realistic game atmosphere.

The NHL’s Financial Situation

Since the NHL season was put on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic, the league has been struggling financially. With no games being played, the league is not generating any revenue from ticket sales, TV contracts, or sponsorships. This has put a lot of pressure on the NHL to find a way to resume play.

One option that has been discussed is having all 30 teams play in one city, without fans in attendance. This would allow the league to generate some revenue from TV contracts and sponsorships. However, this option would not generate any revenue from ticket sales. It is also unclear if this option would be feasible, as it would require a lot of coordination between the teams, arena staff, and local health officials.

Another option that has been discussed is resume play in December or January, with fans in attendance. This would allow the league to generate revenue from ticket sales, TV contracts, and sponsorships. However, it is unclear if this option would be feasible, as it is unclear if there would be enough time to safely prepare for a December or January start date. It is also unclear how many fans would be able to attend games, as social distancing measures may still be necessary at that time.

The NHL has not made any decisions about when or how to resume play. They are still waiting to see how the situation develops over the next few months.

When Will the NHL Resume?

It is still uncertain when the NHL will resume play. The league has been on hiatus since March 12th due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NHL has been exploring various scenarios in an effort to resume the season. However, no decisions have been made as of yet. We will update this article when more information becomes available.

The NHL’s Return-to-Play Plan

On May 26, the NHL and NHLPA finally came to an agreement on a return-to-play plan that would see the season resume with a 24-team playoff in two hub cities.

The first round of the playoffs will be a best-of-five series, followed by best-of-seven series for the remainder of the playoffs. The Stanley Cup will be awarded in early October at the latest.

The NHL is targeting August 1 for the start of training camp, and August 2 for the start of exhibition games. The regular season is tentatively set to resume on August 28.

As part of the agreement, both sides have agreed to a four-year extension of the current collective bargaining agreement, which was set to expire after this season.

The NHL’s TV Schedule

As the NHL looks to resume its season, one of the main questions is when games will start back up again.

The league has said that it is targeting a mid-August return date, which would fall in line with the start of training camp. However, no official date has been set as of yet.

In addition to when games will resume, another big question is what the schedule will look like. The NHL has released a tentative schedule for all 31 teams, but it is subject to change depending on how the situation with the coronavirus unfolds.

Here is a look at the tentative schedule for when games could resume:
– August 1-4: Exhibition games
– August 5-8: Playoff qualifiers (round robin)
– August 11-16: Conference quarterfinals
– August 18-23: Conference semifinals
– August 25-September 4: Conference finals
– September 7: Stanley Cup Final

Conclusion

The NHL has not released an official statement on when they will resume playing. However, many experts believe that the NHL will resume in early 2021. The NHL has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but they have not cancelled their season. The NHL is hopeful that they will be able to resume playing soon.