After the National Hockey League (NHL) paused it’s regular season back in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league announced it’s Return To Play Plan yesterday. The remaining 189 regular season games originally scheduled from March 12 - April 4 will not be played. The league will resume with 24 teams (the top 12 in each Conference on the basis of points percentage at the pause) competing in Seeding Round Robins, a Qualifying Round and Conference-based Stanley Cup Playoffs. These games will take place in 2 “hub” cities that have yet to be determined.

"At the pause, we committed to resuming play only when appropriate and prudent, " said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. "We are hopeful the Return To Play Plan will allow us to complete the season and award the Stanley Cup in a manner in which the health and safety of our players, on-ice officials, team staff and associated individuals involved are paramount. Accordingly, an essential component of the Plan is a rigorous, regular schedule of testing.”

The Plan also outlines the return of players to their Club training facilities and formal training camp, as well as information regarding the 2020 NHL Draft Lottery. These steps will be done in different stages with the first being teams being permitted to return to home facilities for small group, voluntary, and on and off-ice training in early June. No earlier than the first half of July, formal training camps will begin after guidance from medical and civil authorities. After those steps have been taken and no complications are seen, the altered post-season will commence.

Bettman added, "The Return To Play Plan is the result of weeks of constructive dialogue with the National Hockey League Players' Association and we are grateful for their cooperation. We also thank our consulting health experts and the local, regional and national authorities who are helping steer us through a complex set of issues."

With the competitive format chosen for this years post-season, the Calgary Flames will take on the Winnipeg Jets in a best-of-5 series to advance to the First Round.