Ducks to Return to Play January 13

The NHL and NHL Players' Association reached an agreement Sunday to play a 56-game regular season starting Jan. 13, 2021, and ending May 8

Ducks 2020-21 Season Schedule
"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. "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."
Ducks Players and Fan Reaction
Formal training camps will begin Jan. 3. There will be no preseason games. The Ducks are among the seven teams that did not participate in the 2019-20 Return to Play, so they will be permitted to open their camps as early as Dec. 31.
"This has been a day we have been eagerly waiting for since March, so needless to say we are excited about our return," said Ducks Executive Vice President/General Manager Bob Murray in an official statement. "We are well-prepared, healthy and ready to take a major step forward this year. While we will miss our fans and the atmosphere at Honda Center, we know they will be watching. We look forward to seeing our supporters again in-person as soon as deemed safe by health officials."
The 2020-21 season has been delayed due to continuing concerns surrounding the coronavirus
Under the agreement, the Stanley Cup Playoffs will feature 16 teams in a best-of-7, four-round format and conclude around mid-July with the plan of returning to a normal hockey calendar for the 2021-22 season (regular season beginning in October). The NHL and NHLPA will release the 2020-21 schedule for each team, health and safety protocols, transition rules and a calendar of critical dates in the coming day.
Games will be within realigned divisions only
, including a division of the seven teams based in Canada. In reaching agreement on the format for the 2020-21 season, the NHL and NHLPA determined that the ongoing closure of the United States-Canada border required realignment and also sought to minimize travel as much as possible by shifting to exclusively intradivisional play
Each team in the East, Central and West divisions will play every other team in its division eight times, and each team in the North Division (Canada teams) will play every other team in its division nine or 10 times.
The top four teams in each division will qualify for the playoffs. The first two rounds will be intradivisional, with the first-place team playing the fourth-place team and the second-place team facing the third-place team in the first round. The four teams that advance from the second round to the Semifinal Round will be seeded by their points total in the regular season (No. 1 vs. No. 4; No. 2 vs. No. 3).
The Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues and Vegas Golden Knights will play in the West Division.
The Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals will be in the East Division.
The Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning will compete in the Central Division.The Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets will play in the North Division.
The current plan is to play games in the home arenas of participating teams with the understanding that most arenas will not be able to host fans, at least in the initial part of the season. But depending on prevailing conditions, the NHL will be prepared to play games in one or more neutral venues per division should it become necessary.
The NHL and NHLPA have had to adjust to government regulations at all levels, from restrictions at the Canada-United States border to local limits on gatherings, and the coronavirus situation in each of the markets for the 31 NHL teams. The agreement includes health and safety protocols.
The last game of last season was played Sept. 28, when the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Dallas Stars 2-0 in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.
"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."