Breaking down all the latest news, rumors, reports surrounding 2020-21 NHL season

Let’s fill you in on everything you need to know about the 2020-21 NHL season.

After weeks and weeks of speculation, it appears as though we will finally get a 2020-21 NHL season a couple of weeks into the New Year.

Per multiple reports and still waiting on an official announcement from the National Hockey League, the new season is expected to start on Jan. 13, 2021 and will feature a shortened 56-game schedule.

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Given the continued chaos being caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic and reports of a dispute between the NHL and the NHLPA, a 56-game schedule is probably better than what we realistically could have hoped for and the return of hockey can’t come soon enough.

There is still a plethora of logistical points to thrash out, however, with where teams are going to play, Division Realignment and any potential changes to the Stanley Cup Playoffs all still to be revealed.

Granted, there have been a boatload of reports concerning all of the above over the last few weeks, making for a constant stream of information overload.

Therefore, I thought it would be a good idea to try and round together everything you could possibly need and want to know about the 2020-21 NHL season in one handy place.

So, without further ado, let’s delve right in shall we…

Overall Roundup

Let’s start by presenting a general overview of the current state of play in regards to the 2020-21 NHL season.

Firstly, it appears certain that the NHL will start the 2020-21 season on Jan. 13, 2021 with a 56-game regular season schedule.

Multiple reports have all stated that the above is true and it seems only a matter of time until we are hit with an official announcement.

It comes following grim reports that disagreements between the NHL and the NHLPA over proposed changes to the CBA, which was only signed, sealed and delivered back in the summer, threatened to derail the 2020-21 season and cause a potential lockout.

However, both parties agreed to put their differences aside in order to make a season happen in 2020-21, and that will now be the main focus going forward with any financial issues put aside for now.

Of course, there is still a boatload of issues to sort out and a swathe of kinks to be ironed out, but we’re heading in the right direction and it does feel as though we are finally on the cusp of the NHL being back.

Which is incredibly good news and a hell of an early holiday gift.

So, with the 2020-21 season slated to begin on Jan. 13, 2021, it is likely that Training Camps will open on Jan. 1 with players who have been abroad starting to make their way back to the United States already in preparation to get back to work.

There’s no word yet on whether or not teams will play a preseason schedule but, if they do, it is likely to only be one or two games, while those seven teams who were not involved in the 2019-20 Stanley Cup Playoffs could also be allowed to start Training Camp slightly earlier in order to blow off the mass of cobwebs they have amassed since the 2019-20 regular season was halted in March.

Also, we have no idea how the NHL will approach Opening Night on Jan. 13, 2021, but a full schedule of games would certainly provide a mouthwatering feast of hockey for those fans who have been starved of their favorite sport over the last few months.

That’s basically the crux of where we stand with the 2020-21 NHL season right now, so let’s delve into some wider issues…

NHL Division Realignment

One of the most talked about aspects of the 2020-21 NHL season has been Division Realignment, and that is a reality we will all get used to once it has been confirmed by the league.

We’ve looked at the countless different forms the NHL could take on with each Division mixed up and shaken about, and you can read some of those pieces below:

• Flyers, Penguins could be split up in proposed Realignment
• 3 teams that will benefit, 3 teams that will suffer from Realignment
• NHL Realignment would enhance importance of rivalries

Of course, how these new-look Divisions could look has changed on countless occasions, and there are still tweaks to be made according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.

Speaking of LeBrun, this is the latest from the respected NHL Insider on how the four Divisions could look after Realignment:

So, per LeBrun, these are the proposed Realigned NHL Divisions in full for the 2020-21 season:

• Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals.
• Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning.
• Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights.
• Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets.

Again, it is important to note that these Divisions are likely to change and Pierre has already reported that the NHL and the Board of Governors are already working on changes to that proposed Realignment.

However, that is the rough template and there is a lot to get excited about when it comes to potential matchups.

I mean, with teams expected to play each team in their own Division eight or nine times, we will be treated to a boatload of Hudson River showdowns between the Rangers and the Devils, some Original Six clashes between the Bruins and the Rangers, eight or nine tussles between the Penguins and the Flyers, a feast of clash of the titans battles between the loaded Avs and the juggernaut that is the Golden Knights and much more.

Basically, in what will be a weird and different-looking season anyway, Division Realignment has the potential to add more spice to a shortened season that will ensure every single game has extra meaning to it.

And we’re all in for it.

It is also expected that teams will play a series of games in the same place in order to reduce travel, as they do in Major League Baseball.

That certainly makes a lot of sense and is exactly why the NHL is proceeding with Division Realignment in the first place.

COVID-19 Precautions

As great as it is that the NHL is on the cusp of a triumphant return, the threat of COVID-19 always looms large over every single facet of life.

Sports is no exception and that is probably why reports have started swirling that the NHL would be interested in securing a private batch of the COVID-19 vaccine and administering it to players.

That would obviously solve a major headache for the NHL in that if players, coaching staff and other support / front office staff all have the vaccine, then it would mean no postponements of games due to COVID-19.

With the NHL hoping to have a Stanley Cup Champion awarded by no later than July 15 due to the Tokyo Olympics beginning on NBC on July 23, postponements and natural issues caused by the Pandemic could cause major problems.

Of course, there aren’t enough vaccines to go around currently for those who really need them and, per John Shannon, a renowned hockey journalist in Canada, the NHL is adamant that they would not jump to the front of the line ahead of those who really need it.

Basically, they will wait and, if a vaccine becomes available for private purchase, then they will make their interest known but they will not take it out of the hands of those who need it more.

That would be an incredibly bad look and it would create a PR nightmare that the NHL needs to avoid.

So, in liu of a vaccine for players right now, the 2020-21 season will be fraught with challenges caused directly by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Chief among them is schedule flexibility with the NHL probably needing to set a week or two aside at the end of the regular season for any games postponed due to COVID-19.

Also, with teams expected to play in their own arenas and therefore travel for road games, although travel will be dramatically cut down due to Division Realignment, what will will the testing procedure look like?

We’ve seen both in MLB and in the NFL that travel only helps to spread COVID-19 and cause major outbreaks, so the NHL will need to have a bullet proof plan in place when it comes to testing each team throughout the 2020-21 season.

It is expected that the NHL will draw up a list of hotels for teams to stay in with the hope that staying in the same hotels will eradicate some of the risk that comes with travel in the age of a Pandemic.