Blue Jackets among 24 teams included in NHL return to play format

The framework for the return of the Columbus Blue Jackets as well as NHL hockey to the ice is now in place.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced this afternoon the 24-team format that will govern the league's targeted return to play this summer, a tournament that will include the Blue Jackets.

With Bettman cautioning that hockey will not return until it is safe to do so amid the coronavirus pandemic, he unveiled a return-to-play bracket that will feature the Blue Jackets getting back on the ice for the first time since March at a to-be-determined time later this summer with a best-of-five qualifying series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"As we seek some return to normalcy, this is an important day, particularly for NHL fans," Bettman said. "Since March 12, we have been hopeful and optimistic that by developing all options and alternatives, we could get to this point. I know I join sports fans everywhere when I say we cannot wait for our players to hit the ice again."

The 24-team return to play setup was approved by the NHL Players Association in a vote last week and the league's Board of Governors after that.

The NHL's Return to Play Committee, which featured league and player representatives, agreed upon a format that includes the top 12 teams in each conference by points percentage returning to action. The top four will receive a bye and stage a round robin tournament among themselves to determine playoff seeding, while teams five through 12 will stage best-of-five qualifying series to move on to the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Those series will be staged in one of two "hub" cities, with Columbus one of the 10 finalists to potentially host those games. Each hub city will feature secure hotels, arena, practice facilities and in-market transportation for players and team personnel.

The Blue Jackets entered the coronavirus pause with a 33-22-15 record in 70 games, having overcome a spate of injuries to post points in 33 of the team's last 41 games. That resulted in a .579 points percentage, tied with the Maple Leafs, who went 36-29-5 to also earn 81 points in 70 games. In the Eastern Conference, Toronto enters the qualifying series as the eighth seed, while Columbus -- which should have such players as Cam Atkinson, Seth Jones and Oliver Bjorkstrand returning from injuries -- will be the ninth seed, with the winner advancing to the final 16.

As for exactly when those games will take place, that remains to be seen. Teams are expected to be able to have players return to team facilities for workouts in early June, and the league announced today that team training camps are targeted to begin in early July.

In other words, many of the specifics are still being worked out, but there is now a framework in place to award the Stanley Cup later to cap the 2019-20 season.

"We believe (the setup) is fair to all of the teams and our best option under the circumstances," Bettman said. "It will enable the best playoffs in all of sports to honor our history and produce a champion worthy of the most treasured trophy in all of sports."

The league also announced a two-phase draft lottery that will begin June 26 and feature the seven teams that will not return to play as well as the eight teams that lose their qualifying series.

The commissioner's announcement today comes on the heels of Monday's league announcement of the framework of Phase 2 of the return to play format, the transition period from the league's self-quarantine that will allow players to return to workouts in team facilities.

Since the coronavirus pause was announced in March, some Blue Jackets players have stayed in Columbus while many have scattered across the world to their home cities, but all have been advised to self-quarantine wherever they are in what has been Phase 1 of the process.

The league is targeting a date in early June for Phase 2, in which players are permitted to return to NHL club training facilities for voluntary small-group individualized training activities (on-ice and off-ice). There is no date set yet for the beginning or end of Phase 2, which will be the bridge to a potential training camp before the start of the 24-team postseason tournament.

Groups of up to six players will be able to work out in team facilities in Phase 2 provided they follow appropriate social distancing measures. Skating in team facilities would be allowed but sessions would include players only, no coaches, and would be non-contact.

In addition, before being able to return to workouts, players will be tested for the virus, but testing must be done in a way so as to not deprive health care workers, vulnerable populations and symptomatic individuals from necessary diagnostic tests.

"I want to make clear the health and safety of our players, essential support staff and our communities are paramount," Bettman said. "While nothing is without risk, ensuring health and safety has been central to all of our planning and will remain so. … We will not do anything until we are assured by medical professionals and the relevant government authorities that it is safe to do so."

The NHL paused its season on March 12 from concerns over the coronavirus, having played 85 percent of the 2019-20 regular-season schedule that started in early October (1,082 of 1,271 games). The remaining regular season games will not be played.