What Sabres fans need to know about the 2020-21 season

Buffalo Sabres hockey is back.
The NHL announced that the 2020-21 season begins Jan. 13, with training camp for the Sabres set to open as soon as Dec. 31. The season will consist of 56 games with four realigned divisions.
Buffalo will open the season at home against the Washington Capitals on Thursday, Jan. 14.
Taylor Hall. Eric Staal. Royal blue jerseys. It's all happening. Now, onto some of your questions.

What does realignment look like?

As a result of the U.S.-Canada border closure and in an effort to minimize travel, the NHL and the NHL Players Association settled on four geographically aligned divisions for this season.
The Sabres will play in the East Division, which also includes Boston, New Jersey, the New York Islanders, the New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington.
The full realignment is as follows:

The regular season will consist exclusively of division play, with the Sabres set to meet each East Division opponent eight times.

What about the schedule?

The NHL announced the full 56-game schedule, broken primarily into two-game sets in a given arena. For example: Following the opener against Washington, the Sabres and Capitals are scheduled to meet again inside KeyBank Center on Friday, Jan. 15. After that, the Sabres head to Philadelphia for back-to-back games against the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center.
Check out the full schedule in the tweet below, or find more info here.
Tweet from @BuffaloSabres: IT���S HERE! 😁Introducing our 2020-21 season schedule: https://t.co/T5lSaeNino#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/klC6DiAmTH

So, how do playoffs work?

The top four teams from each division qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with intradivisional play in the first two rounds (#1 vs. #4; #2 vs. #3). The four teams that advance to the semifinal round will be seeded by their regular-season points total.
All series will be held in the traditional best-of-seven format.

When would playoffs begin?

The regular season is set to end on May 8.

What's next?

There is still plenty more info to come, including health and safety protocols, transition rules, and key dates.
"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."