NHL’s Bill Daly projects 2020-21 puck drop after NBA’s announcement to start season in December

On Thursday, the board of player representatives voted to tentatively approve the NBA’s proposal for a 72-game 2020-21 season with a Dec. 22 start date. The NBA and the union plan to discuss the opening of free agency as soon as possible after the Nov. 18 draft with training camps starting on Dec. 1. 

This announcement got fans across the National Hockey League more and more impatient, looking to find out sooner rather than later what the league will do for the 2020-21 campaign. On Friday, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly informed insider Pierre LeBrun of TSN that the league is still targeting Jan. 1 as the day puck drop will take place for the start of the 2020-21 season, despite no meeting taking place since the Tampa Bay Lightning were crowned Stanley Cup champions in September. 

“In lieu of the NBA news, the latest on NHL: Bill Daly says Jan. 1 puck drop “remains our objective.” But the joint NHL-NHLPA RTP committee has yet to meet (nothing yet scheduled). Though a source says top leaders of NHLPA/NHL have been in daily contact over the 2020-21 season.”

This should be confirmed by the NHL in the next 10 coming days.

When commissioner Gary Bettman made his opening statement at the NHL Draft on Oct. 6, he mentioned that he was looking forward to the next campaign, announcing that it would get underway on Jan. 1st. However days later, the NHL announced that the Winter Classic and All-Star Game will be postponed, which was quite a blow to fans that hoped the action would kick off with the outside game in Minnesota.

However it sounds like the focus is still on Jan, 1st which is a positive thing for fans all across the NHL. 

Let’s keep our fingers crossed.