NHL is planning on 56- game slate

The Kings and Ducks will compete with Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, San Jose, St. Louis and Vegas in the NHL’s West division, one of four new divisions created for the purpose of minimizing travel and health risks and making it possible to play the 2020- 21 season. As announced Sunday, the 56game schedule will start Jan. 13, end May 8 and feature play exclusively within each team’s division.

Under this plan, the Stanley Cup playoffs will end by mid- July and the league will return to is traditional calendar of an October start in the 2021- 22 season.

In identically worded news releases, the NHL and NHL Players’ Assn. acknowledged they will have to be f lexible to respond to changes in health regulations and conditions related to the COVID- 19 pandemic.

“It is the current plan to play games in the home arenas of participating teams while understanding that most arenas will not, at least in the initial part of the season, be open to fans,” the statement said.

The seven teams based in Canada were grouped together and will play each other, a decision forced on the league because of restrictions that have closed the U. S.- Canada border. The Sharks will hold training camp in Scottsdale, Ariz., because of health regulations in Santa Clara County. They hope to start the season in San Jose but might have to play games in Arizona.

Training camps for the seven teams that missed the playoffs — among them the Kings and Ducks — will open Dec. 31. Camp will open Jan. 3 for the other 24 teams.

The top four teams in each division will qualify for the playoffs, with the No. 1 seed facing No. 4 and No. 2 facing No. 3 in each division. The four teams that advance to the semifinals will be seeded by their point totals.