The NHL and NHLPA have reached a tentative deal on a 56-game season, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has learned.
A conference call will be held by the NHLPA on Friday to discuss the proposal. The NHL’s board of governors will also hold a call, which has yet to be scheduled. Both the players’ association and the board still must hold votes to ratify the deal.
The tentative agreement calls for no exhibition games to be played, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reported, meaning the NHL will go directly from the off-season and training camps into regular season games.
Sportsnet’s NHL insider @FriedgeHNIC joined @AndrewWalker650 and @SatiarShah with the latest on what you need to know about the upcoming NHL season, including what it means for the #Canucks.
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As has been previously reported, the plan would be to start the season on Jan. 13, though the date is not finalized. This hope aligns with the NHL’s prior plan, which included the mid-January start date. Under the new agreement, training camps will start on Dec. 30 for non-playoff teams and Jan. 3 for playoff teams.
The deal does not currently include a resolution to where Canadian teams will be playing. Provincial COVID-19 restrictions have complicated the NHL’s bid to conduct an all-Canadian division comprised of Canada’s seven clubs. If games cannot be played in Canada, the NHL has considered a plan that would see Canada’s teams play their seasons in the United States.
In addition to the scheduling decisions, the agreement features at least three roster-related elements as well. Friedman reported that there will be no proration of salaries, teams will have a four-to-six player taxi squad, and teams will have the option to “toll” the contracts of players who opt out of the season — meaning a player who has one year left on their contract would stay with that team for the remaining term.
