Following a long and extremely trying 142-day pause, the National Hockey League will drop the puck with a five-game schedule of Stanley Cup Qualifiers on Saturday, August 1, as the NHL and NHLPA ratified a four-year extension to the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, guaranteeing labor peace through 2025-26, and a Return to Play Plan. The agreements pave the way for the resumption of the 2019-20 NHL season toward the crowning of a Stanley Cup champion by October 2, and provide an updated economic framework for the league and its players, including addressing the financial challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
It’s official: Florida Panthers will open postseason on August 1
