Hockey will return: NHL, NHLPA sign off onplan to resume season
It's official: The NHL and the NHLPA both approved the Return to Play protocols and an extension to the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The players began voting on the proposals Wednesday, and the announcement that both measures passed came shortly after 5 p.m. Friday.
What this means is that the 24-team playoff we've all been hearing about will begin August 1 in the hub cities of Edmonton and Toronto.
The Blackhawks will take on the Edmonton Oilers in a best-of-five play-in round. Games 1-3 are August 1, 3 and 5. Games 4 and 5 (if necessary) are August 7 and 8. Start times are yet to be determined.
Before that, the Hawks will open training camp Monday at Fifth Third Arena. Fans will not be permitted in the building, but media will be able to cover the two-week camp under strict guidelines.
As for the CBA, it now runs through the 2025-26 season.
The salary cap is expected to remain flat at $81.5 million for the next two seasons, a serious problem for the Hawks. We'll explore why, then delve into how the Hawks can rectify the situation in an upcoming article.
The NHL wants to play an 82-game regular season in 2020-21 and hopes to begin it as early as December 1. Because the coronavirus situation is so fluid, however, we'll have to wait and see if that actually transpires.
The tentative dates of the NHL draft are October 9-10.
In the meantime, we can finally start looking forward to live hockey again. It's been a long road, but give the NHL credit for taking a patient and prudent approach, coming up with a solid plan and getting the players on board so it can be executed.
"This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time," said Don Fehr, the NHLPA Executive Director. "This would not have happened but for the enormous contributions that the players made throughout, particularly those who served on the Negotiating and Return to Play Committees, as well as those on the Executive Board."
Frank Seravalli, the President of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, tweeted that he heard the NHLPA membership voted 502-135 in favor of ratifying the packages. Players have until 5 p.m. (EDT) Monday to opt out of the postseason without penalty, according to Bob McKenzie.
Once camps begin, players can participate in full team activities both on and off the ice. They can also have direct interactions with coaches, GMs and hockey operations personnel.
Rosters will be limited to 30 skaters, but teams can have an unlimited number of goalies. Only playoff-eligible players may take part, however.
When teams leave for their predetermined destinations, they will be housed in "Phase 4 Secure Zones" according to NHL.com. These include hotels, practice facilities and arenas where the games will be played.
The other three play-in matchups in the Western Conference are:
• Nashville vs. Arizona
• Vancouver vs. Minnesota
• Calgary vs. Winnipeg
The Eastern Conference play-in matchups are:
• Pittsburgh vs. Montreal
• Carolina vs. New York Rangers
• New York Islanders vs. Florida
• Toronto vs. Columbus
Once the play-in series are complete, the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs will begin August 11. The NHL also announced that the conference finals and Stanley Cup Final will be played in Edmonton.