NHL, NHLPA Officially Announce Plans for 2020-21 Season
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The 2020-21 regular season is set to begin on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, and will conclude on May 8. Each team will be scheduled to play 56 games. Training camps will start on Thursday, Dec. 31 for the seven non-playoff teams from the return to play this summer. The 24 teams that did make the playoffs in return to play, including the Flyers, will open training camp on Sunday, Jan. 3. There will also be no preseason games.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs will feature 16 teams in the traditional four-round, best-of-seven format with the expectation to conclude by mid-July. This would ensure that the NHL would be on track to return to a “normal” hockey calendar starting in October for the 2021-22 season.
By AFP - Agence France Presse December 20, 2020 Print Article
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced the league will hold a 56-game 2020-21 season beginning on January 13 Mike Stobe Text size
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The National Hockey League has given its 31 teams the green light to play a 56-game season that will begin January 13 without any pre-season games.
The owners and the players union announced the deal on Sunday, but because of continuing Covid-19 pandemic restrictions there were still a list of logistical issues to work out, including where the league s seven Canadian teams will play.
Sunday s agreement includes a 16-team post-season with a traditional four rounds of best-of-seven contests that will wrap up in the middle of July.
Game On! NHL and New York Rangers to begin play on January 13
The two words hockey fans around the world have been waiting months to hear; “GAME ON!”
Let s break it down. 56-game season starts Jan. 13, ends May 8 Formal training camps begin Jan. 3 #NYR to play 8 games vs. every team in realigned East Division Games played in home arenas of participating teams as of now
“The National Hockey League looks forward to the opening of our 2020-21 season, especially since the Return to Play in 2019-20 was so successful in crowning a Stanley Cup champion. 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. And, as was the case last spring and summer, I thank the NHLPA, particularly Executive Director Don Fehr, for working cooperatively with us to get our League back on the ice.”
NHL Returns for 56 Game Season Starting in January
Hockey fans can now be excited for January.hockey is back!
On Sunday, December 20th, the National Hockey League announced an agreement with the National Hockey League Players Association and that means we will see some hockey action next month. Teams will gear up and get ready for a 56-game season for 2020/2021 and it will all begin on January 13th and end on May 8th.
This year will look a little different as there will be no preseason games. Formal training camps will start on January 3rd for most teams, however, the seven teams that did not participate in the 2019-2020 Return to Play can begin training on December 31st.
Owning a 35-26-8 record before the NHL season grinded to a halt in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Panthers haven t played competitively since they were eliminated by the New York Islanders in four games during the Stanley Cup Qualifiers in the NHL s bubble in August.
And although we re still waiting on other important details such as safety protocols, rules and a schedule, it s clear that both fans and players are eager to return to life on and around the ice. This is what we do for a living, but it s also the game we love, new Panthers forward Alex Wennberg said on the Territory Talk podcast last week. I feel like everyone is just super excited to get hockey going. It s going to be different, for sure. But maybe that s a good thing as well. It keeps you on your toes and makes you more excited about games.