Drop the puck.
The NHL and NHL Players Association officially ratified a four-year extension to the collective bargaining agreement, which goes through the 2025-26 season, and a “Return to Play” plan on Friday. The agreement gives a green light to completing the 2019-20 season, a six-year outline to sustain the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic and six years of labor peace.
According to TSN, the NHLPA membership voted 502-135 in favor of ratifying the 71-page package.
“Today, the NHL and the NHLPA announced a significant agreement that addresses the uncertainty everyone is dealing with, the framework for the completion of the 2019-20 season and the foundation for the continued long-term growth of our League,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said, per an NHLPA release.
Players now have until 5 p.m. Monday to inform their respective teams if they wish to opt out of the “Return to Play” tournament, which will be a penalty-free decision. They must also do so in writing to the NHLPA and NHL Central Registry, per TSN.
The agreement confirms that the Eastern Conference will play in Toronto, while the Western Conference will be in Edmonton. The conference finals and Stanley Cup final will be held in Edmonton.
Each team is permitted to bring 32 players to its respective hub city, with a maximum of 52 individuals in total. All club personnel will live inside each city’s “bubble,” be tested daily for COVID-19 and be subject to daily temperature checks and symptom screenings.
Teams will now hold training camp beginning Monday before traveling to their respective hub cities on July 26. Exhibition games are scheduled to be held from July 28 to July 30, with qualifiers beginning on Aug. 1.
The league is planning for the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs to start Aug. 11 and the second round on Aug. 25. The conference finals are set for Sept. 8, with the Stanley Cup Final beginning on Sept. 22. The last possible day for the Stanley Cup final is Oct. 4.
Additionally, the NHL and NHLPA scheduled Phase 2 of the NHL draft lottery — which will include all eight teams that do not advance from the qualifying round — for Aug. 10 and the 2020 NHL Draft from Oct. 9 to Oct. 10.
All dates are tentative and subject to change.
Games are scheduled on a staggered basis, with matchups in Toronto set for noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. In Edmonton, games will be scheduled at 2 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. The Rangers will face the Carolina Hurricanes and the Islanders will face the Florida Panthers on Aug. 1.
The Stanley Cup qualifiers — which will feature the top four teams from each conference to determine seeding in the playoffs — is set to begin on Aug. 2.
Per the new CBA, the salary cap will remain $81.5 million for the next season. And although the CBA runs through the 2025-26 season, there is an escrow provision that could extend it one more season.
The new deal permits NHL players to participate in the 2022 and 2026 Olympics pending an agreement with the International Olympic Committee and International Ice Hockey Federation.
Additionally, the window for teams to sign all unsigned draft picks will start at noon Monday and run through 5 p.m. on Wednesday. For the Islanders, that gives them roughly 53 hours to make a decision regarding goaltending prospect Ilya Sorokin.
