According to Sportsnet’s NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, the NHL and the Players’ Association have moved on from making changes towards the current collective bargaining agreement and are now focused on setting a start date for the 2020-21 season.
Friedman says the league is now looking at Jan. 13 as a potential start date for the regular season preceded by a short training camp and no preseason games. The 56-game regular season would see the 24 teams that took part in the return to play plan in August report to camp on Jan. 1, while the seven teams that have not played games since before the March 12 pause reporting on Dec. 28.
The league is also discussing a 48-game season that begins on Feb. 1 if the pandemic causes any extra delays to the start of training camp. A potential bubble plan to start the season is also being discussed as a worst-case scenario.
The discussions pertaining to the CBA began last week after the league reportedly requested the NHLPA agree to more payment deferrals and caps on escrow. Friedman reported that the league was seeking an extra 13 percent in payment deferrals — on top of the ten percent agreed to in July as well as a rise in escrow. The players did not react well to the request and tried to add extra concessions to the discussion in return.
Friedman says the league is hoping to have a plan in place, which could include temporary realignment, for the Board of Governors to vote on by the end of the week.
Greg Wyshnyski of ESPN recently reported that the NHL is looking to realign for a season to accommodate for an All-Canadian division due to travel restrictions between Canada and the United States.
In the report, Wyshynski said the Avalanche would slot into a Western Division alongside current division rivals Minnesota and Dallas as well as Arizona, Vegas, San Jose, Anaheim and Los Angeles.
