NHL commissioner Gary Bettman Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

NHL still plans to end regular season on April 29 after rescheduling games

It was learned Tuesday that the NHL and NHL Players' Association had agreed to stop testing asymptomatic players and staff members in an attempt to limit or avoid future game postponements, presumably in an attempt to finish the regular season on time on April 29, as planned, despite numerous schedule disruptions linked with COVID-19 setbacks over the past several months. 

The league unveiled a revised schedule on Wednesday and announced that 95 games will occur from Feb. 7-22. A break for the Winter Olympics was originally planned for that period, but the NHL and NHLPA announced shortly before Christmas players would not be participating in the Games so postponed contests could be made up next month. 

As of Wednesday afternoon, all 32 NHL clubs are on track to finish their regular-season slates by or on April 29. 

"We are profoundly grateful to our fans for their support and understanding during a challenging time and to our clubs, the NHL Players' Association and the players for their cooperation in a rescheduling of unprecedented logistical complexity," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said for Wednesday's release. 

The upcoming NHL All-Star Game will occur in Las Vegas on Feb. 5, and the campaign's second half will begin two days later. Per The Associated Press (h/t ESPN), the league and union remain committed to finishing the Stanley Cup Playoffs before July 1.

In total, 104 games have been postponed due to coronavirus-related reasons this season.  

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