NHL set to begin 2020-21 season on Jan. 13

On a Zoom call with season ticket holders on Wednesday, St. Louis Blues Head Coach Craig Berube was asked by a pair of young fans if there was anything he wanted for Christmas.
"I think the biggest gift would be the NHL announcing when the season is going to start, for sure," Berube said.
Well coach, you got your wish!
On Sunday, the NHL and the NHL Players' Association reached an agreement to play a 56-game regular season starting on Jan. 13.

"The National Hockey League looks forward to the opening of our 2020-21 season, especially since the Return to Play in 2019-20 was so successful in crowning a Stanley Cup Champion," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a League press release. "While we are well aware of the challenges ahead, as was the case last spring and summer, we are continuing to prioritize the health and safety of our participants and the communities in which we live and play. And, as was the case last spring and summer, I thank the NHLPA, particularly Executive Director Don Fehr, for working cooperatively with us to get our League back on the ice."
"The Players are pleased to have finalized agreements for the upcoming season, which will be unique but also very exciting for the fans and players alike," Fehr said. "During these troubled times, we hope that NHL games will provide fans with some much needed entertainment as the players return to the ice."
Here are some answers to some basic questions you might have right now:

When does the regular season begin?

The 2020-21 season will get underway on Jan. 13 and will end on May 8.

When will training camp start?

The St. Louis Blues will begin training camp on Jan. 3, either at Centene Community Ice Center or Enterprise Center. Training camp practices will be closed to the public due to COVID-19 restrictions. The seven teams that did not participate in Return to Play in the Edmonton and Toronto bubbles will be permitted to begin training camp as early as Dec. 31.

What about preseason games?

There will be no preseason games before the regular-season begins.

Did I hear the Blues will be changing divisions?

Yes! For the 2020-21 regular season, the Blues will shift to the West Division, which includes these teams: Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights. Presumably, if the NHL can get back to a regular schedule for the 2021-22 season in October, one would expect the standard division alignment to return as well.
Here are the rest of the new divisions for 2020-21:
North: Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets
Central: Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning
East:Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals

Where will games be played?

The NHL's current plan is to play games in the home arenas of participating teams with the expectation that most arenas will not be able to allow fans to attend, at least at the beginning of the season. The Blues will play their home games at Enterprise Center without fans in attendance to start.

What will the schedule look like?

The Blues will only play teams in the West Division, meaning they will play eight games (four home, four away) against each of their division rivals. The
2020-21 regular-season schedule was released on Dec. 23
.

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What about the playoffs?

The Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin after the completion of the regular season in May. The top four teams in each division will qualify for the playoffs. The first two rounds will feature divisional matchups, with the first-place team playing the fourth-place team and the second-place team playing the third-place team in the first round. The four teams that advance from the second round to the third round will be seeded by their total points in the regular season.