HOCKEY IS BACK, NHL Announces Return To Play Format

It has been 76 days since a NHL game was played. But, a return date to hockey is near. After two weeks of heavy discussion, a deal to return to hockey has been made to finish the 2019-2020 season.



NHL & NHLPA have agreed to return to hockey in a playoff style end to the 2019-2020 season. After debate, the agreed on deal has ended the 2019-2020 regular season and will resume with the playoffs.

The conclusion to the 2019-2020 season will be unlike any other in the history of the NHL. The Stanley Cup Playoffs has been expanded to 24 teams & will be played in two remote cities. Each conference, East : Metro-Atlantic & West : Central-Pacific, will be separated into a city with the eventual winners of each conference meeting in a neutral location to finish the season in the Stanley Cup Final.

In these two cities, teams will play in quarantine style arenas. With only league officials, broadcast crews, team staff, & essential medical personal in attendance.




Two of the cities are rumored to be in heavy consideration are Las Vegas & Minnesota. But, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, said there are 9 cities in the running at the moment.

Unfortunately, this agreement has ended the season for 7 teams. Anaheim, San Jose, LA, Detroit, New Jersey, Ottawa, & Buffalo seasons’s have all ended.

The 24 teams that will play for the Stanley Cup are Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Columbus, Carolina, Boston, Tampa Bay, Toronto, & Florida in the East. St. Louis, Colorado, Dallas, Vegas, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Nashville, Vancouver, Minnesota, Arizona, & Chicago in the West,




Here is a break-down of the playoff structure…

Play-In / Round-Robin Round

Top two teams in each division will get a bye but will face each other in 3-game round-robin series to decide seeding. After playing each other, 1-4 seeding will be based off their records from the series.

This will consist of the Flyers, Capitals, Bruins, & Lightning in the East & Blues, Avalanche, Golden Knights, & Stars in the West.




The remaining 8 teams in each conference will be seeded based off of their points percentage for the play-in side. Each series will be best of 5 and the winners will be seeded based off their previous seed & matched up accordingly to the 1-4 seeds.

This will consist of 5-Penguins vs 12-Canadians, 6-Hurricanes vs 11-Rangers, 7-Islanders vs 10-Panthers, 8-Maple Leafs vs 9-Blue Jackets in the East. 5-Oilers vs 12-Blackhawks, 6-Predators vs Coyotes, 7-Canucks vs 10-Wild, 8-Flames vs 9-Jets in the West.

After this has concluded, the playoffs are expected to resume as normal like every year. But, rounds 1&2 are still being discussed whether or not to be 5-game or 7-game series.




A return date will be named after medical personal deem it safe to proceed.

Flyers hockey is back. It will not be in Philadelphia, but will be from the comfort of your own home. Buckle up, it is gonna be a wild ride.