NHL, PLAYERS RATIFY RETURN FORMAT, NEW CBA

The NHL and the NHLPA voted in favour of extending the collective bargaining agreement four more years and a return to play format that will see 24 teams compete for the Stanley Cup this year. The ratification votes mean that training camps will begin Monday, with teams travelling to the hub cities — Toronto in the Eastern Conference and Edmonton in the Western Conference — on July 26. The start of the post-season, which includes a round robin for the top four seeds in each conference and a best-of-five qualification round for the next 16 teams, is set for Aug. 1. According to various sources, the NHL plans on playing

six games a day during the qualification round and round robin. The conference finals and the Stanley Cup final will be played solely at Rogers Place in Edmonton, with the Stanley Cup beginning Sept. 20 and ending no later than Oct. 2. While the Return to Play protocols have the most immediate impact, the CBA was arguably the more contentious of the two votes. By extending the CBA by another four years, the NHL and NHLPA is ensured labour peace until 2026. As part of that agreement, the NHL agreed to return to the Olympics in 2022 in Beijing and in 2026 in Milan, Italy.