As of now, training camps are set to open on July 10, but that's not a firm date. A target date has also not yet been set for resumption of play, but it could begin in early August.
Playoff hockey in August and September will be a little different, just like everything else in the pause, especially for hockey players who are notorious creatures of habit. Just ask Staal, who noted that summertime is peak cottage season in Thunder Bay or him and his brothers.
It won't be the playoff hockey we're used to seeing, either. It will look a bit different and sound a bit different, but it will still be playoff hockey. It's going to ramp up quickly and require "everyone involved and ready to work right away," Staal said. It will be intense. It will be emotional. It will be a grind. (So let's dispense with the asterisk nonsense, shall we?)
The Canes want to be ready to begin that 19-win quest, whenever, wherever that may be.
"No one really knows how it's going to look, but we're going to have some fresh legs and healthy bodies. The hockey could be really exciting. Who knows?" Staal said. "I'm excited to have a chance at winning a Cup. … It's going to be different and weird … but we're hoping to get this thing going and play some hockey."