The NHL announced Tuesday it will abandon the rest of the regular season and go straight into the playoffs with 24 teams instead of 16 if it is able to resume play.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says the league and the NHL Players’ Association have agreed on a return-to-play format in the event the 2019-20 season can resume.
The other eight teams in each conference would play best-of-five “play-in” series — No. 5 versus No. 12, No. 6 versus No. 11, No. 7 versus No. 10, and No. 8 versus No. 9 — to determine the 16 clubs left standing in the playoffs.
Bettman says the first- and second-round playoff matchups could be either best-of-five or best-of-seven series, but the conference finals and Stanley Cup Final will be best-of-seven.
WATCH | 2-minute recap of Bettman’s press conference:
Commissioner Bettman outlined the NHL’s 24-team playoff format, and the draft lottery. 2:11
“Obviously these are extraordinary and unprecedented times,” Bettman said. “Any plan for the resumption of play, by definition, cannot be perfect. I am certain that depending on which team you root for, you can find some element of this package that you might prefer to be done differently.
“But we believe we have constructed an overall plan that includes all teams that as a practical matter, might have had a chance [at] qualifying for the playoffs when the season was pause.
“This plan will produce a worthy Stanley Cup champion who will have run the post-season gauntlet that is unique to the NHL.”
Tuesday’s announcement is an important step in the league’s bid to restart the season, which was suspended March 12 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but does not guarantee a return to action.
The NHL and its players still have plenty of work to do, including receiving the go-ahead from government and health officials, timing, the location of hub cities, testing procedures and ensuring the safety of everyone involved.
WATCH | Bettman outlines Stanley Cup bracket:
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman describes the 24-team straight-to-playoffs format. 1:27