Hockey (And The NHL) Are Coming Back in A Big Way

College hockey, the World Junior Championships, and the NHL are bringing hockey back in grand fashion.

The first NHL hiatus started on March 12th, leaving a void in hockey fans’ hearts until the league’s triumphant return on August 1st. The almost five-month layoff stung, but all was forgotten once the teams hit the ice, with the Tampa Bay Lightning getting crowned Stanley Cup Champions on September 28th.

Now another dry-spell has overtaken the hockey community, with fans eager for the sport’s return. With the incorporation of geographic realignment and a 56-game campaign, the NHL appears ready to resume on January 13th. But fans are already rejoicing, not because the world’s best hockey league is set to return shortly, but because the sport has already started in the college ranks.

The NCAA has started its season, showcasing the young talent and NHL prospects which make up their league. Sure, the college atmosphere is not the same without the fans in attendance, but the on-ice product is still high-quality, providing a great segway to the NHL season. Headlined by top-ranked University of North Dakota, the NCAA season has had its fair share of awesome games, capped by a shootout win by third-ranked Minnesota-Duluth over the aforementioned top dog on December 10th.

Cole Caufield, Jake Sanderson, Alex Newhook and other NHL draft selections are all competing for their school and the right to impress the NHL scouts. As entertaining as these games can be, we are approaching the time of year where some of those top players, such as Newhook, will be leaving their school teams to go suit up at the World Junior Championships (WJC).

The 2021 WJC will be unlike any of the previous tournaments we have ever seen. COVID-19 has already forced players and coaches alike to be deemed ineligible from the tournament. Fans will not be in the stands proudly singing their nation’s National Anthem and wearing their nation’s colors. The atmosphere will not be as electric, but the talent pool remains immaculate, with the best young prospects from around the world competing on the same sheet of ice.

Arguably the most important time of the year for these prospects, the eyes of the hockey world will be focused solely on the WJC, seeing which of these young and talented stars will wow us all.

Held in Edmonton and starting on the 25th of December, the WJC is the perfect precursor to the upcoming NHL campaign. Starring the second overall selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft in Quinton Byfield among other young phenoms like Alexander Holtz, Yaroslav Askarov, and Trevor Zegras, this tournament will be non-stop fun for all.

An NHL Season Like Never Before

As the news broke around the hockey world that the NHL and NHLPA had worked through their financial differences, a collective breath was exhaled by all who love the sport. A season that was needed will get played, barring any unforeseen challenges that arise due to the Pandemic. But the 2020-21 season won’t be like any other the NHL has ever seen.

For starters, the typical 82-game schedule will be shortened to 56, meaning teams have 26-fewer chances at earning a postseason berth. There is no time for anyone to have a slow start, and every tilt is meaningful regardless of if it’s game one, 24, or 56. The sport’s return is huge, but each game’s magnitude is larger, especially with the geographically realigned divisions.

Rivalry games and a minimum of eight meetings between each divisional opponent will certainly impact the Stanley Cup Playoff picture in ways we have never witnessed. A weak team on paper could thrive against certain teams in their respective division, propelling them to a surprising Playoff birth. An All-Canadian division will surely be competitive, while the Eastern USA Division (Division 1) features eight teams with the necessary skill to make each game a challenge for their opponent.

Admit it; you are excited to watch eight games against your bitter rivals, aren’t you?

The lone remaining question surrounding this NHL season is, will fans be allowed in select arenas, and if so, when are fans allowed everywhere? That remains to be seen, but the NHL is about to storm back in a time where they had to or else suffer massive financial ramifications. Their return is imminent, ferociously picking up steam just a month ahead of when the alleged opening night games are slated to begin.

And, think about it, as miserable as this last year has been, the return of hockey in 2021 gives us hope that good times are ahead. Hockey Night in Canada will become an everyday occurrence in 2021.

The New York Rangers, New York Islanders and the New Jersey Devils will face each other 8 times or maybe more (tri-state are hockey fans are salivating), the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia  Flyers rivalry will reach new heights, while the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings can revive an old rivalry. The West’s top dogs are all in the same division (Stars, Avalanche, Golden Knights, Blues), and Florida’s battle remains.

From a year most of us would rather not remember comes a hockey season few of us will forget. And for hockey fans, the greatest part of it all is that the sport is already starting back up, paving the way for the NHL’s return.