After what will be 140 calendar days without the playing of American sports, the National Hockey League will make its long awaited return.
Per Larry Brooks of the New York Post, the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin with the qualification round on Thursday, July 30.
Teams are permitted to begin conducting their large training camps (Phase 3 of the NHL's return-to-play plan) on July 10. According to Brooks, teams will hold two-week training camps before traveling to their designated hub city on either July 23 or July 24.
After arriving in the hub city, teams will participate in one exhibition game prior to the beginning of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Despite the clarity, the league has yet to determine its two hub cities, although it has been reported that a decision should come at some point next week. According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN, the initial list of 10 cities that was announced by commissioner Gary Bettman on May 26 has been trimmed to six.
LeBrun reported that all three Canadian cities (Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto) are still under consideration to be selected. Initially, Canadian cities seemed to be an unlikely choice given the country's 14-day quarantine rule, but the rule has been formally waived.
T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, from all reports, is nearly a lock to be selected as one of the cities. From all understanding, Pittsburgh is still being considered to host. Given Pittsburgh's PPG Paints Arena and the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in nearby Cranberry Township, regulated ice would be in abundance.
Teams are currently in Phase 2 of the return-to-play plan, taking part in small group activities at respective training sites. Players around the league, including Toronto's Auston Matthews, have tested positive for COVID-19.
When the games return, eight qualifying matchups will take place prior to the traditional 16-team format. They are as follows:
Eastern Conference
(5) Pittsburgh Penguins vs (12) Montreal Canadiens
(6) Carolina Hurricanes vs (11) New York Rangers
(7) New York Islanders vs (10) Florida Panthers
(8) Toronto Maple Leafs vs (9) Columbus Blue Jackets
Western Conference
(5) Edmonton Oilers vs (12) Chicago Blackhawks
(6) Nashville Predators vs (11) Arizona Coyotes
(7) Vancouver Canucks vs (10) Minnesota Wild
(8) Calgary Flames vs (9) Winnipeg Jets
During the qualification round, the top four seeds in each conference will play a round-robin to determine seeding for the postseason. Unlike previous seasons, the bracket will be reseeded for each new round. The top current seeds in each conference are as follows:
Eastern Conference
(1) Boston Bruins
(2) Tampa Bay Lightning
(3) Washington Capitals
(4) Philadelphia Flyers
Western Conference
(1) St. Louis Blues
(2) Colorado Avalanche
(3) Vegas Golden Knights
(4) Dallas Stars
The last National Hockey League game was played on March 11, when the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Ottawa Senators at Staples Center. Since then, both teams have been eliminated after failing to qualify for the league's 24-team return format.
The NBA is also set to resume action at the Walt Disney Resort in Orlando on July 30, setting up for an iconic and symbolic day of sports for the United States.
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