Stanley Cup playoffs 2020: Everything we know about the NHL’s potential resumption

The rumour mill continues to churn, but a person thing seems to be a lot more and a lot more definite: a 2020 Stanley Cup winner will be crowned.

When it’s going to take place is however in flux because of these kinds of factors as place, coronavirus tests, the U.S.-Canada border closures, restricted entry from Europe and obligatory 14-day quarantines to any individual entering Canada.

Irrespective of these variables, it sounds as if the NHL and the NHL Players’ Affiliation, through their joint Return to Engage in Committee, are inching nearer to summertime hockey. The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont wrote (subscription required) that the Bruins may well be capable to get back again on the ice, albeit in little teams, by June one below Phase 2 of the league’s reopening protocols, with the playoffs commencing July one.

Here’s every little thing we know so significantly about the NHL’s probable return to the ice:

How lots of groups would return?

According to a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on May well 20, it seems to be as if the league, the gamers and the Return to Engage in Committee are zeroing in on a 24-workforce playoff.

The major 24 groups dependent on factors percentage — groups experienced not all performed the exact variety of video games when the year was paused on March 12 — would be seeded one-12 in just about every conference. 7 groups would not resume play and would then enter the draft lottery.

Japanese Convention

Western Convention

Teams that would not return

How would the playoffs do the job?

Brackets! Who does not enjoy a bracket?

In the proposed structure, there would an NCAA-type bracket with no any reseeding.

According to Friedman, the major 4 seeds in just about every conference would receive byes and the “play-in series” would be a ideal-of-5 structure.

Japanese Convention opening-spherical series

Western Convention opening-spherical series

When these series are made the decision and the Stanley Cup playoffs are down to the regular 16 groups, the 4 groups that obtained byes would then enter the bracket for a best-of-7 series.

Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston noted Thursday that the 4 major groups could play in a mini-spherical-robin tournament of their very own to identify remaining seeding.

If the seeding remains the exact for these 4 groups, then this is how the Spherical of 16 would shake out — and, certainly, that could necessarily mean a Maple Leafs-Bruins “very first-spherical matchup.”

Japanese Convention second-spherical series

Western Convention second-spherical series

Wherever will the video games be held?

“Hub cities” is the magic phrase in athletics suitable now and the NHL seems to be subsequent that path. With the the greater part of NHL cities possibly a COVID-19 hotspot or below a ban on community gatherings through the summertime, it is becoming a lot more evident this is the route the league requirements to just take.

According to experiences, the NHL has obtained bids from many teams including Columbus, Las Vegas, Edmonton, Toronto and Vancouver. In the “hub town” gamers would be quarantined to lower the chance of an infection. 

TSN’s Darren Dreger tweeted Thursday that the Oilers’ hometown is rolling out the purple carpet for the NHL — supplying up every little thing from golf courses to a colder, a lot more hockey-centric weather.

Will followers be capable to show up at?

Most likely not. The league has seemed into it but the complications are huge.