2020-2021 NHL season preview
DALLAS (BVM) — On Wednesday, the 104th season of the National Hockey League begins. Three months later than usual, the league’s 31 teams are ready to get the 2020-2021 season underway.
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Don't miss Wednesday night ⬇️
PIT vs PHI – 5:30 ET NBCSN, SN1
MTL vs TOR – 7 ET SN, TVAS
CHI vs TBL – 8 ET NBCSN
VAN vs EDM – 10 ET SN, SN1, TVAS2
STL vs COL – 10:30 ET NBCSN pic.twitter.com/xAE1idWhRN— NHL (@NHL) January 11, 2021
Last season, after nearly two months of inactivity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHL and the NHLPA agreed on a 24-team return-to-play format. With players returning to their respected training facilities in June, the playoffs did not begin until August. It was the largest interruption to the NHL regular season since the 2012-2013 lockout.
Once the playoffs had come to an end, the Tampa Bay Lighting remained on top after defeating the Dallas Stars on Sept. 28 in six games to capture their second Stanley Cup in franchise history.
THIS IS OUR TIME
YOUR TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING ARE STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS!!!!! pic.twitter.com/1trZdj2JPf
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) September 29, 2020
Now, because the 2019 regular season was cut short and declared over in March, seven teams will not have played competitive hockey in 10 months. And for the first time since the Boston Bruins joined the NHL in 1924, there will be an entire division made up of Canadian teams due to the current travel restrictions.
Here is how the upcoming season is going to look.
Division realignment and shortened season
Unlike what some may have thought, this season will not be taking place in a bubble. With a 56-game schedule, shortened from 82 games, it would not be realistic for teams to play in a two-city bubble like they did to wrap up last season. It is also worth noting that most of the players did not want to be hunkered down in a neutral site.
Along with a shortened season, the divisions will be realigned due to travel restrictions to Canada. Seven of the league’s teams are based in Canada, forcing the league to find a solution for the remaining teams. It led to the North, Central, East, and West divisions being founded for the upcoming season. The divisions will also have title sponsors for the first time ever.
North: Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg
Central: Carolina, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Florida, Nashville, Tampa Bay
East: Boston, Buffalo, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington
West: Anaheim, Arizona, Colorado, Los Angeles, Minnesota, San Jose, St. Louis, Vegas
Along with this short-term change, the playoffs will be changed as well. The league will return to a 16-team, best-of-seven, four-round playoff format. Four teams from each division will qualify for the playoffs. The first two rounds will be played interdivisional style, with the top four teams from each division facing off. Then the four division winners will advance to the semifinals. There they will be re-seeded based on their total regular-season points. The two semifinal teams left will play for the Stanley Cup. It is going to be a chaotic yet exciting time for the hockey world.
Teams to watch
Everyone will be watching to see if the Tampa Bay Lightning can defend their title. They will be looking to be the first team to win back-to-back titles since the Pittsburgh Penguins won it in 2016 and 2017.
Another team to keep a close eye on is the Colorado Avalanche. Eliminated by the Dallas Stars last year in the playoffs, this team is certainly on the rise in the Western Conference. Adding Brandon Saad and Devon Toews certainly helps their cause as they look to capture their third Stanley Cup.
The Dallas Stars failed to capture their second Stanley Cup after making their fifth appearance in the final last year. But no team has won more playoff games than the Dallas Stars in the last two seasons. With a great defense and solid netminders in Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin, the Stars could make another run.
The Boston Bruins also should be a team to watch this year. With Torey Krug and Zdeno Chara departing, the defense took a bit of a hit. But with their high-powered offense and goaltender, Tuukka Rask, the Bruins have a great chance to capture their seventh Stanley Cup.
Fans at NHL games?
It is going to depend on the state and how the COVID-19 pandemic is going. Fans who want to attend games and see games in the North Division may not be able to attend a game all year due to Canada’s COVID rules. At the same time, the other three divisions will rely on local government restrictions. If a team is allowed to have fans, they are likely to face a capacity limit.
But a couple of teams have already announced that fans will be allowed to attend. The Dallas Stars are allowing 5,000 fans at each home event, and the Nashville Predators are allowing 15 percent (roughly 2,600 fans) capacity.
New COVID protocols and rule change
There will be one rule change for the upcoming season, and it affects offside calls. Skaters will no longer have to touch the blue line to be called onside. This has been a talking point for years in the league as goals have been overturned because players’ skates were a quarter of an inch off the ice as the puck entered the offensive zone. It is going to allow more goals to be scored, and that is great for everyone.
Along with the rule change, there have been COVID protocols put in place to help handle the non-bubble structure.
Players who have a positive test will have to be isolated and will not be allowed back on the ice until their cardiologist and team doctor allow them. For teammates in close contact and who show asymptomatic or test negative, they will not be forced to quarantine.
To go along with positive test protocols, coaches on the bench will have to wear masks for the entire season.
2020-2021 season calendar
Jan. 13: 56-game regular season begins
Feb. 11: Deadline to sign restricted free agents
March 12: Deadline for signing 2021-2022 contract extension
April 12: Trade deadline at 3 p.m. EST
May 8: End of the regular season
May 11: Scheduled start for the Stanley Cup Playoffs
July 9: Scheduled date for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final
July 21: Expansion Draft for the Seattle Kraken
July 23-24: NHL Entry Draft
Overall, the 104th season of the NHL has the potential to be one of the most unique seasons the sport has ever seen. It’s an exciting time for the fans, players, coaches, and everyone else involved in the sport. The season kicks off as the Flyers and Penguins drop the puck in Philadelphia.
