We’ve seen sports leagues opt for varying strategies when planning to return during the coronavirus pandemic, from the NBA’s Orlando bubble to the NFL’s plan to play around the country as normal. The NHL season was halted on March 12th, and in May, the league and NHLPA agreed to abandon the rest of the regular season and plan on a 24-team playoff system.
According to a new report, we could potentially see NHL teams back in action by the end of July, but spiking coronavirus numbers in the United States have led to many fans calling for the league to give up on the season.
The NHL allowed clubs to open training facilities on June 8th, and announced on Friday that since the opening of facilities, 11 players have tested positive for COVID-19 so far. The Tampa Bay Lightning have stopped training after three players tested positive, and according to the Toronto Sun, Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews has tested positive.
The NHL’s plan is to host games in two hub cities, and on Friday the AP reported that the league is focusing on sites in Canada. Canadian officials have signed off on the plan, and many major Canadian cities have seen just a fraction of the number of cases as major U.S. hotspots.
Per the NHL’s Return to Play Plan, the expanded playoff system will open with a tournament to determine seeding for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Via NHL.com:
“The tournament will begin with the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, which will include 16 teams playing eight best-of-5 series and a round-robin among the top four teams in each conference to determine seeds for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.”
According to the New York Post, the league is targeting July 30th as a start date.
From NHL GM's meeting, Post has learned that training camp is set for two weeks, with teams traveling to respective hub city on July 23 or 24 before playing one exhibition game. The Stanley Cup tournament that begins with qualifying rounds is scheduled to begin on July 30.
— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) June 20, 2020
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