Twenty-four NHL teams will compete for the Stanley Cup Playoffs later this summer whenever hockey is able to resume, commissioner Gary Bettman announced Tuesday.
The league and players’ association agreed to a restart plan this week, making the NHL the first of the “big four” North American sports leagues to formalize some details of how its sport will resume amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Official restart dates and the two hub cities have not been decided. Bettman said the league will hold off on those decisions to ensure they make the best decision given public health information at the time.