Bettman to discuss NHL Return to Play Plan on ESPN program

Commissioner Gary Bettman will discuss the NHL Return to Play Plan on "The Return of Sports," which will air Monday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

He will be one of six commissioners from North American major sports leagues on the program; Roger Goodell of the NFL, Adam Silver of the NBA, Rob Manfred of MLB, Cathy Engelbert of the WNBA and Don Garber of MLS are the others.

The NHL paused its season March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. It has announced the Return to Play Plan will begin with the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, which will include 16 teams playing eight best-of-5 series and a round-robin among the top four teams in each conference to determine seeding for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Sites and dates for the qualifiers have not been announced.

Phase 2 of the Return to Play Plan, which allows players to voluntarily participate in limited workouts in small groups at team facilities, began June 8. Phase 3, the start of training camps, will begin July 10.