NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said he expects NHL teams in Canada to be able to play at home this season.
“It simply came to our notice then [with provincial health authorities] in the last week, as well as the exchange of correspondence over the past 24 hours, we believe we are aligned and agree with the conditions under which each of our Canadian franchises can start playing in their own buildings for the early 2020-21 NHL season. ” Daly said in a statement Thursday.
The NHL season is scheduled to begin Jan. 13, after the league, and the NHL Players Association struck a deal on Sunday to host a 56-game season, which would include playoffs that last July to award the Stanley Cup.
The season will be extremely unusual in at least one respect: there will be four divisions – North, South, East and West – and all games will take place in the first two rounds of the playoffs to minimize travel and the potential for the coronavirus to disrupt season.
The Northern Division contains only the seven Canadian teams: Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg. Those teams should not cross the US-Canada border, which remains closed for non-essential travel until at least 21 January.
The league allows the ability to play games on neutral sites, if necessary. The final details of where the Canadian teams will play are pending until there are agreements with federal and provincial health officials.
The NHL finished last season in bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta, with players, coaches and staff isolated from the general public and tested daily for the virus.
In terms of divisions, Boston, Buffalo, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington and both teams in New York are in the east; Carolina, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Florida, Nashville and Tampa Bay are in the central area; and Arizona, Anaheim, Colorado, Los Angeles, Minnesota, St. Louis, San Jose and Vegas are in the west.
Emily Kaplan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.