NHL finalizes protocols to resume season

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly told the Associated Press on Sunday that the NHL and NHL Players’ Association have agreed on protocols to resume the season.

Daly said the sides are still negotiating a collective bargaining agreement extension. A CBA extension is still crucial to the process, and the league’s board of governors and players’ executive committee and full membership must approve that and the return to play protocols to bring hockey back this summer.

If ratified, it will end a pandemic-forced shutdown for 31 teams that began in mid-March. Games would resume in late July or early August with 24 teams taking part in an expanded playoffs, finishing with the Stanley Cup in October.

The 47 pages of protocols outline the health and safety measures the league and players agreed to after several weeks of negotiations. Any player has until 4 p.m. CDT on Tuesday to notify his team if he’s choosing to opt out of participating in training camp and games.

For those playing, each team is limited to 30 skaters and an unlimited amount of goaltenders for camp and total roster of up to 31 players for games.

Each team is limited to 52 personnel in its game city, a group that must include two trainers, a doctor and compliance officer in addition to players, coaches and management.

All team and league employees plus hotel, restaurant and arena staff coming in contact with players will be tested daily in the two “hub” cities.