Today (May 26) the NHL released their Return to Play Plan for the 2019-20 season.  

“At the pause, we committed to resuming play only when appropriate and prudent,” said 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.” 

They have decided to end the regular season and 24 teams will return to play and vie for the Stanley Cup at two “hub” cities beginning later this summer. The 189 games originally scheduled from March 12 – April 4 will not be played. The 24 teams are the current top 12 in each conference. 

Phase two of the Plan is hoped to begin early June and will permit teams to return to home facilities for small group, voluntary, and on and off-ice training. 

Mid-July at the earliest will see phase three begin, which is the start of formal training camps with the guidance from medical and civil authorities. 

Phase four is the playoffs, the timing of which is still to be determined. There will be seeding round robins, a qualifying round and conference-based Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Bettman says, “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.” 

These cities are up for being chosen as hub cities: 

  • Chicago, IL 
  • Columbus, OH 
  • Dallas, TX 
  • Edmonton, AB 
  • Las Vegas, NV 
  • Los Angeles, CA 
  • Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN 
  • Pittsburgh, PA 
  • Toronto, ON 
  • Vancouver, BC 

Timing and sites will be determined at a future date and will be dependent on COVID-19 conditions, testing ability and government regulations.