/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/3TYDSMXSLRHWLAD6WOBBOOXXFA.JPG "The playoffs just ended in Edmonton, with the Lightning clinching the Stanley Cup. Now it looks like teams may not officially be back on the ice again for the regular season until next year.")
The NHL hopes to start the next season on Jan. 1. Commissioner Gary Bettman shared that target date as he opened the draft Tuesday.
Mark your calendar in pencil, however. That’s a target date, not a set schedule.
A Jan. 1 start date could mean the league opens with the Winter Classic in Minnesota, though tradition dictates the Stanley Cup champion plays on opening night.
The league had been targeting a Dec. 1 opening night but has determined that isn’t feasible due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The start of training camp will be “communicated at a later date,” according to a release from the league.
That schedule means a 96-day offseason for the league. Last year’s offseason spanned 113 days from June 12 to Oct. 3. The six teams that did not make the qualifying round will have gone 10 months between games if this schedule holds.
Thunderstruck: Celebrate the Tampa Bay Lightning’s one-of-a-kind championship season with this hardcover collector’s book
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