NHL Announces Plan for Stanley Cup Playoffs

(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman today announced the end of the regular season and a plan to begin the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs today:

Gary Bettman says the 2019-20 regular season has been “deemed to be completed.” The record books are closed and award winners can be selected.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 26, 2020

Gary Bettman says the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs will be held in two hub cities (to be named later) — one housing each conference

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 26, 2020

Gary Bettman says NHL training camps won’t open before July 1.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 26, 2020

Complete list of cities under consideration to become a NHL hub: Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Vancouver.

Two selected later based on COVID-19 spread, testing capacity and government regulations.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 26, 2020

Gary Bettman says first-round playoff matchups could still be set using either a bracket or seeding, adding: “Since we have endeavoured to be sensitive to the players’ preferences.”

The league prefers bracket, the players prefer seeding.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 26, 2020

Gary Bettman says either best-of-five or best-of-seven will be used in Rounds 1 and 2. It will be best-of-seven for the conference finals and Stanley Cup Final.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 26, 2020

Bettman also discussed the NHL draft:

Gary Bettman says the NHL draft lottery will be used to determine the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 overall picks. It goes June 26. Fifteen teams can win those picks — the seven non-resuming clubs and eight play-in losers.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 26, 2020

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