League announces starting date for season, limited to divisional play

The NHL is preparing for a pandemic-altered regular season limited to divisional play while trying to determine if the league’s seven Canadian teams will be allowed to play in their country.

Taxi squads also are coming back as part of a tentative return-to-play plan reached Friday, and at least one team won’t be opening its season at home.

The San Jose Sharks will open training camp and start the regular season in Arizona, a person with knowledge of discussions told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Saturday because details of the plan haven’t been made public.

The deal has already received support from the NHL Players’ Association, and features a 56-game regular season beginning Jan. 13. Training camps for the seven teams that didn’t qualify for the playoffs last season would open Dec. 31, with the remaining 24 teams opening camps Jan. 3.

The Sharks missed the playoffs, and their status is in limbo because Santa Clara County has banned contact sports through at least Jan. 8. The Sharks will follow in the steps of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, who are closing out their season in Arizona.

The Sharks said they had no comment “at this point” on relocating to Arizona.

In an email to the AP, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly deferred questions to the Sharks regarding their status. Daly added he was unable to share many details of the plan because the league has yet to brief its general managers.

As for the issues affecting the Canadian teams — Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver — Daly said