The NHL held a Board of Governors call Wednesday and according to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun, a temporary division realignment plan for the 2020-21 season includes an all-Canadian division.
Not finalized yet, and still subject to change, but the 2020-21 four-division re-alignment currently looks like this according to sources:
Bos-Buf-NJ-NYI-NYR-Pha-Pgh-Was
Car-CBJ-Det-Chi-Fla-Min-Nas-TB
Ana-Ari-Col-Dal-LA-SJ-STL-VGK
All-Canadian teams
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) December 9, 2020
LeBrun adds that nothing is finalized and things are still subject to change.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made cross-border travel a challenge and as things currently stand, NHL teams entering Canada would be required to quarantine for two weeks, essentially eliminating the possibility of a conventional schedule at least to begin the season.
Here, according to LeBrun, is what the league’s realignment currently looks like:
Toronto-Ottawa-Winnipeg-Vancouver-Calgary-Montreal-Edmonton
Boston-Buffalo-NYI-NYR-NJ-Philly-Pittsburgh-Wash
Tampa-Florida-Nashville-Carolina-Columbus-Detroit-Chicago-Minnesota
San Jose-LA-Anaheim-Vegas-Colorado-Arizona-Dallas-St. Louis
While there is still no start date confirmed for next season, TSN Hockey Insiders Darren Dreger and LeBrun as well as TSN Senior Hockey Reporter Frank Seravalli report the NHL is targeting a Jan. 13 start to the regular season with training camps set to begin on Jan. 2.