NHL and NHLPA Reach Agreement; Puck Drops January 13th

It's the news we have all been waiting for, but there's still a tiny bit of work to do. Actually, there's still lots of work to do.

The NHL and the NHLPA have reached a tentative agreement on the 2020-21 NHL season. The players are approving the terms and the board of governors are expected to vote Sunday or Monday. 

A logistics nightmare begins for the NHL as it's go-go-go for a solid month to get the season organized and operating safely. It will be curious to see if the All-Canadian division is a go, after provincial health officials continue to evaluate the potential health risks involved. One thing we do know is the playoffs will be as follows:

Yup, as I wrote last month, this was the only real avenue for the NHL considering the border issue.
If Canada's 7 teams get to play in Canada, this is how it's going to go. So Canadian teams play each other until the league semifinals in June. https://t.co/rZc5MljyD6

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) December 19, 2020

This is why the division structure is so crucial, you're playing the same teams for a few months. There's bound to be a 'group of death' where it's loaded with good teams and once the final groupings are decided, it may be a safe bet to take the Stanley Cup champs to come out of this division. The Canadian division has to deal with a wide range of time zones, which sucks for the east coast fans and will be a bit different for the players. The potential three game homestands could help with this.  

On the other hand, if the NHL is deemed unable to play hockey in Canada, it will be interesting to see where everyone ends up. 

If Canadian teams have to play in the US, you absolutely have to mix up the divisions. Forget geography. Put the Oilers on the east coast. Imagine McDavid in a division with Crosby and Ovechkin? How about Toronto in California playing west coast teams? This is a huge opportunity

— John Scott (@johnscott_32) December 18, 2020

Lots of decisions to be made and we'll all have to wait and see how many players decide to stay back for this 56-game season. Can't blame them for putting family first.

This season's setup will remind a bunch of players of their AHL days with the expected type of schedule, and the backup goalie's across the league better be ready to get some minutes.

The clock starts ticking January 13th. 

Photo credit:  Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire