NHL targeting Jan. 1 start to 2020-21 season, Gary Bettman says
The NHL is now targeting a Jan. 1 start date for the 2020-21 season, commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday.
In an interview with NHL Network, Bettman reiterated that the league hopes to play a full 82-game season, and have fans in the arenas. Bettman said planning discussions with the NHLPA will begin shortly after the free-agency period, which begins Friday.
When the NHL and NHLPA revealed their return-to-play initiatives in July, they targeted Dec. 1 to begin next season, though that date was always fluid. The NHL just completed its 2019-20 season last month as the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup, defeating the Dallas Stars in the Edmonton bubble.
The NHL draft is being held virtually Tuesday and Wednesday.
Among the things the NHL and NHLPA must discuss for next season is the format, schedule, as well as health and safety initiatives. Though the players agreed that bubbles were necessary to complete the 2020 postseason -- a two month tournament which took place in Edmonton and Toronto -- their preference is to avoid a bubble for next season, if possible.
The bubble postseason was a success from a health and safety perspective. The NHL conducted daily COVID-19 testing for all players and staffers for two months, and reported zero confirmed cases. Players, however, were less than pleased with the amenities, and were frustrated that their family members were largely not able to join them later in the tournament, as promised.
The NHL is a gate-driven league, and it would take a significant financial hit if fans were not allowed in buildings for next season.
"If there's an option to consider, believe me, we're considering it," Bettman said in September. "It's conceivable that we start without fans, that we move to socially distant fans at some point, and by some point in time maybe our buildings are open."
The NHL will face a serious road block if the Canada and U.S. border does not open for non-essential business. Sources told ESPN that the league -- among many other options -- is considering an all-Canadian division of teams if the border remains closed.
Teams are allowed to open their facilities for offseason training on Oct. 15. The NHL and NHLPA agreed on a 19-page document of training protocols, which include mandates that a maximum of 12 players can be on the ice at the same time, and participants must be tested at least twice weekly for COVID-19. Any player who has had COVID-19 must also undergo a cardiac screening before participation.
