NHL Rumors: League, NHLPA Have ‘Tentative Agreement’ For 56-Game Season

Is the NHL getting closer to a return?

There have been reports that a Jan. 13 start date is the target of the upcoming 2020-21 season. The NHL and NHL Players' Association have yet to come to terms on anything official, but Friday's latest report certainly provided some optimism.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and TSN's Pierre LeBrun, the two sides have a "tentative agreement" for a 56-game season.

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1340092429135994880

The NHL has reached an agreement with the NHLPA on the season, pending respective votes by each side.
NHL plans to schedule a Board of Governors call/vote sometime this weekend. The NHLPA already had an exec board call scheduled for 8 pm ET tonight.

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) December 19, 2020

This doesn't mean the season indeed will start Jan. 13, but we may get more clarity after the conference call.