The NHL Has Returned

The National Hockey League resumed play last week at its two bubbles based in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ and Edmonton Oilers’ arenas. Twenty-four teams, including 12 teams from the Western Conference and 12 teams from the Eastern Conference, will be participating in the competitive playoff format that commissioner, Gary Bettman, and league officials organized for the 2020-2021 NHL season. All players and staff members from each organization will have to follow strict protocols created by the league in order to prevent a situation similar to the one Major League Baseball is in right now. Players will be tested on a daily basis and be forced to stay inside their respective bubble until the season comes to an end. The playoffs will begin with a qualification round, where teams seeded five through twelve in each conference will play in a five-game series to decide who advances to the round of 16. While the quarterfinals and semifinals will be held in Toronto and Edmonton, the conference finals and the Stanley Cup will be played in Edmonton.