The NHL announced Friday that the league and player's association had agreed to a plan to return to play beginning Aug. 1.
The league will resume play in two hubs — Toronto for the Eastern Conference and Edmonton for the Western Conference. The return to play will begin with a qualifying tournament for the Stanley Cup playoffs among 16 teams. Once seeding is determined, playoffs will begin in late August.
The conference finals and Stanley Cup Final will all take place in Edmonton. The conference finals are tentatively set to begin Sept. 8; the Cup Final is scheduled to begin Sept. 22 and will end no later than Oct. 4.
"Today, the NHL and the NHLPA announced a significant agreement that addresses the uncertainty everyone is dealing with, the framework for the completion of the 2019-20 season, and the foundation for the continued long-term growth of our league," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said.
Under the agreement, teams can open training camps on Monday in their home markets. Teams will begin travel to their respective hub cities on July 26.
The agreement also included a four-year extension of the current collective bargaining agreement, which will now run through the 2025-26 season.
