The NHL and NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA) have reached a deal for a 56-game regular season.
The regular season is scheduled to begin Jan. 13 with formal training camps starting 10 days earlier.
“While we are well aware of the challenges ahead, as was the case last spring and summer, we are continuing to prioritize the health and safety of our participants and the communities in which we live and play,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement Sunday.
Games will take place within realigned divisions, including a division made up of the seven Canadian teams.
The joint statement from the NHL and NHLPA said they determined that the ongoing Canada-U.S. border closure required realignment, adding the players also sought to minimize team travel as much as possible.
Each team in the East, Central and West divisions will play every other team in its division eight times, while each Canadian team will play every other team in its division nine or 10 times.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs would feature 16 teams in the traditional best-of-seven, four-round format and conclude around mid-July.
The top four teams in each division will qualify for the playoffs, with intradivisional play in the first two rounds. The four teams that advance to the semifinals would be seeded by their regular-season points total.
The season is set to begin on January 13.
Details: https://t.co/7hXC6mEGui
— NHL (@NHL) December 20, 2020
