The NHL and NHL Players’ Association agreed protocols on Sunday to resume the season, an important step toward hockey’s return this summer.
Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press that there was an agreement on protocols for training camps and games and that the parties are still negotiating an extension of the collective bargaining agreement, which is crucial to the process.
A person with knowledge of the situation said the return-to-game protocols would only go into effect if each side voted to approve the full CBA extension package and the return-to-game agreement. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the CBA talks are still ongoing.
To complete a return, two-thirds of the league board of governors and the majority of the players’ executive committee and full membership must vote in favor.
If everything is ratified, it will end a forced closure due to a pandemic that started in mid-March. Games would resume in late July or early August with 24 teams participating in an expanded playoff, ending with the Stanley Cup in October.
The deal was first reported by TSN.
Assuming the approval of the owners and players, the teams are expected to open training camps on July 13 before traveling to two “central” cities for the games. Players have been able to skate and train off the ice in voluntary small-group practice since June 8, nearly three months after hockey stopped on March 12 with 189 regular-season games remaining.
Returning to the playoffs is seen as an exciting victory for the NHL, which like other major leagues faced the possibility of losing millions more without the postseason-linked television earnings. There were deep concerns about the cancellation of the rest of the season and the news of the positive tests did not help: 26 players since June 8, in addition to almost a dozen before.
Boston defender Matt Grzelcyk called the positive test results “revealing” but hoped. Some players have expressed concern in recent weeks about the uncertainty surrounding a return.
“Obviously we have a unique situation right now,” said Montreal goalkeeper Carey Price. “The NHL and NHLPA are trying to make the best of a very difficult situation. In the future I would like to play, but we have many questions that need to be answered and many scenarios that need to be covered before I can vote yes or no. “
Once the game is resumed, a player’s positive coronavirus test result is not expected to close the game completely. The league has said it would isolate any positive player or staff member, acknowledging that an outbreak would threaten the rest of the season.
The league will be responsible for evaluating players daily once they arrive in their game city.
“Players will be pretty well protected from exposure,” Montreal Canadiens owner Geoff Molson said during a conference call in June. “It will be a completely different way for all of you and for us to watch hockey and be close to a team because the players will be very well protected throughout the process.”
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