The NHL’s Return To Play Committee met over the weekend and progress has been made on a return-to-play plan. The format would reportedly feature 24 teams competing in a playoff that would be hosted in different NHL cities across North America.
The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported the news.
Sources indicate the Return To Play Committee has talked throughout the weekend, NHL-NHLPA making progress on a 24-team format. Sources also stressing there's still work to be done, but clearly the weekend has produced some traction. More talks expected over next day or two.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 17, 2020
It’s also possible the NHL will release a plan for the 2020 NHL Draft, presumably done online in June, this week.
Again, tough to handicap at this point whether a format gets agreed upon this week or not but definite progress. A reminder that the NHL has a Board of Governors call Monday at 3 p.m. ET; and that the league may announce decision on the draft this week
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 17, 2020
LeBrun’s report comes on the heels of Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving saying that the NHL could announce its return-to-play plan as soon as next week.
“I think there’s momentum,” Treliving told Sportsnet’s Eric Francis on Thursday. “No state secrets here, but I do sense some momentum that next week there could be at least a preliminary plan put in place for where we go.”
The NHL’s 2019-20 season has been suspended since March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
