The end of the NHL season will occur no earlier than Sept. 25 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a near five-month suspension of play.
With NHL seasons typically beginning in early October, the league calendar must adjust for the 2020-21 campaign, and league commissioner Gary Bettman gave insight into when the 2020-21 season may begin.
Bettman said he "would not be surprised" if the season "slips into later December, [or] could slip into January," per ESPN's Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski.
The commissioner elaborated on his answer from the league's de facto bubble in Edmonton, Alberta, where the Stanley Cup Final between the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning begins Saturday.