NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Tuesday revealed a four-phase plan that hopefully will end with the league beginning its 2019-20 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The second phase means voluntary workouts and small group workouts at the team’s training facility. While the third phase marks the beginning of formal training camps, something Bettman originally said would be “no earlier” than July 1.
Of course, given the fluidity of the COVID-19 pandemic, the dates were subject to change. And that apparently has happened for Phase 3, according to Hockey Night In Canada’s Elliotte Friedman.
Players informed today Phase III (training camps) won’t start before July 10.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 28, 2020
There’s no exact timeframe on just how long training camps will last, though some believe it could be three-to-four weeks long in order for players to get their legs back considering none of them have been on the ice since March.
If that’s the case, games (if able to resume) likely won’t start until August and potentially could push the beginning of the 2020-21 season up a bit — something that’s already been talked about.
Regardless, it appears the NHL is taking its next steps to ensure a Stanley Cup champion is crowned this summer.
