The NHL is targeting Dec. 1 as the start of the 2020-21 season, according to a memorandum of understanding obtained by ESPN that is being voted on by NHL players. The league’s board of governors also must approve it.
The NHL Players’ Association on Wednesday began a full membership vote on a four-year extension to the collective bargaining agreement and on return-to-play protocols. Results are expected Friday.
The critical dates in the memorandum of understanding are all tentative and could be pushed back, including:
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The Stanley Cup Final will begin Sept. 20 and end no later than Oct. 2
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The 2020 NHL draft will be held Oct. 6
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Training camps for the 2020-21 season will begin Nov. 17
The NHL is keen on awarding a Stanley Cup this summer. Training camps for the 24-team tournament are scheduled open on July 13, with teams traveling to the hub cities — Edmonton and Toronto — on July 26. If all goes according to plan, games will begin Aug. 1.
Sources told ESPN that the NHL is planning to have three games a day in each of the hub cities, with the first games starting at noon local time. That means six games a day during the qualification round and round-robin play, with potentially more than 15 hours of hockey a day.