NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman, announced today that the NHL is set to make a comeback. If all goes to plan, there will be 24 teams vying for the Stanley Cup. And yes, the Oilers are one of those teams! Teams will be able to open facilities in early June, hosting training camps, in order to prepare the players for upcoming play.

 

 

If all goes to plan, medical professionals & government authorities will sign off on the NHL playoffs beginning in two ‘Hub Cities’ near mid-July. One city for Eastern Conference teams and one for Western Conference teams. Those hub cities have not yet been chosen, but Edmonton is on the short list to become the ‘Western Hub’.

 

There are no set-in-stone dates for any of these plans, as the COVID-19 situation continues to be monitored and assessed on a daily basis, but at least there’s a plan – and a plan means there’s hope for a return to hockey!

 

In this playoff structure, the Oilers would open things up against the Chicago Blackhawks. Here’s how the 24 team system would play out, if/when the league returns to action:

 

 

 

 

Filed under: covid-19, Hockey, NHL, nhl returns, Oilers, Yeg