For most of the offseason, a January 1 start date for the 2021 NHL season was the target. It seemed logical, even with the cancellation of the Winter Classic. The NHL would have been able to nationally televise a slew of games on NBC and NBCSN, competing only with a few NCAA Bowl games.
There seemed to be hope. Temporary realignment was, for all intents and purposes, a foregone conclusion. But then the owners wanted more concessions from the players in the CBA. Now with a month left until New Year’s Day, a January 1 NHL season start date just isn’t going to happen.