CAMP OPENS MONDAY; PLAYOFFS START AUG. 1
Chicago’s 124-day hockey drought finally will end next week.
The Blackhawks are set to begin training camp next Monday after the NHL and its players association reached a tentative agreement Monday on a return-to-play plan and an extension of the collectivebargaining agreement.
Although partial team practices have been taking place for weeks at Fifth Third Arena during Phase 2 of the NHL’s return plan — with Hawks captain Jonathan Toews the latest player to join those workouts Monday — this announcement paves the way for the official return of hockey.
After about two weeks of camp, the Hawks will travel on July 26 to their “hub city” for the playoffs — likely Edmonton, unless the NHL unexpectedly sends the Western Conference to Toronto. Qualifyinground matchups, including the 12th-seeded Hawks’ best-of-five series against the fifth-seeded Oilers, will start Aug. 1.
Those dates still must be ratified by the NHL’s Board of Governors and the NHLPA membership but are expected to pass easily. A passing vote also will extend the current CBA through 2026 — a rare and encouraging sign of labor peace for a league historically plagued by lockouts.
The Hawks haven’t held an official event since their 6-2 win over the Sharks on March 11, the night when the scope of the coronavirus pandemic quickly became visible to the sports world. A scheduled practice March 12 was canceled hours before the NHL paused its season.
The Phase 2 practices have been limited to six to 12 players, with no coach contact. But when Phase 3 starts Monday, “coaches, general managers and hockey operations personnel will be permitted to have direct in-person interactions with players and conduct activities in a typical preseason training camp fashion,” according to the league’s guidelines.
The Hawks also might see some old, familiar faces. Defenseman Calvin
de Haan — out since December with a shoulder injury — is ready to go and already has been participating in workouts. Defenseman Brent Seabrook, also out since December, reportedly also might be cleared to practice soon.
Not all will be normal, though.
The Hawks will be limited at camp to 30 skaters (but unlimited goalies), and all players must be playoff-eligible. That means rookieto-be Ian Mitchell, who signed his entry-level contract in April, can’t play or practice.
Players will be able to opt out of the restart altogether if they wish but must notify the league within three days of the official CBA vote passing.
COVID-19 testing will remain a regular part of the practice schedule. Hawks players not yet practicing at Fifth Third Arena will be tested 48 hours before joining the group. Players and those in contact with them will be tested every other day, with temperature checks occurring daily.
Media access to players will be limited to interviews via video conference, although reporters will be allowed in the building.
Those rules are just the most noteworthy of hundreds that will be implemented — and that’s not even looking ahead to the Phase 4 (hub city) portion of the restart, in which each team will be allowed to send 52 total players, coaches, trainers, executives and other employees.
But even with all the adjustments, Hawks practices should look relatively similar to practices of the past. And that’s a substantial milestone in itself.
Return-to-play dates all but set: Camp opens Monday, playoffs start Aug. 1