NHL Insider: Stanley Cup playoffs might not begin until September

The NHL approved a 24-team playoff format last month, and while the hub cities have yet to be decided, it doesn't seem like game action will resume until after the summer is over.

Training camps might not begin until August, and with players needing about a month to get back in shape, the Montreal Gazette's Stu Cowan suggests we shouldn't be expecting playoff hockey until the fall.

"The NHL is hoping to start official training camps in mid-July at the two hub cities that will be selected to play host to the 24-team playoff format," Cowan writes. "But don’t be surprised if the training camps don’t start until August, giving players most of the summer off (apart from training), with the playoffs starting in September and running through early November."

Players can't resume full training until at least July 1, but some NHL facilities will begin to reopen in the coming weeks as the league enters Phase 2 of its return-to-play-plan.

The NHL could potentially be one of pro sports' final leagues to return to action amid the pandemic with the NBA set to resume sometime between the end of July and mid-August at Walt Disney World and Major League Soccer also set to begin this summer.