The NHL expects negotiations with the Canadian government regarding travel across the border could extend through the opening rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
"It's going to be down to the wire," a source with knowledge of the talks told ESPN, indicating a decision on the border may not be made until the first week in June.
The Stanley Cup playoffs are scheduled to begin in mid-May. The opening two rounds feature teams playing within their divisions. Sources told ESPN that the NHL does not currently expect to implement playoff bubbles for the first two rounds, as it did last summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic.