In late May, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman unveiled the league's 24-team model to crown a Stanley Cup champion for the 2019-20 campaign halted on March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
On Thursday, the league and the NHL Players' Association announced its next phase for the season's resumption.
Per a joint statement, the two parties declared:
"The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) announced today that formal training camps (Phase 3) for the 24 teams resuming play will open on Friday, July 10, provided that medical and safety conditions allow and the parties have reached an overall agreement on resuming play. The length of training camp and, therefore, the start date for formal resumption of play (Phase 4) will be determined at a future date."
As ESPN's Greg Wyshynski reported, the NHL and the union remain engaged in talks over a collective bargaining agreement regarding an exact return-to-play date. Small groups of players began training sessions at club facilities (Phase 2) earlier this week.
On Thursday, NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported the NBA could move its restart date from July 31 to July 30.
The location of the two hub cities where two collections of NHL teams will be placed to resume play hasn't yet been announced. It's believed players coming from other countries, such as Canada, will have to quarantine for 14 days before they join their clubs.
NHL training camps may last three to four weeks before teams hit the ice for meaningful games, but all plans are subject to change due to the uncontrolled virus outbreak and any new orders that may come from local, state, and national governments regarding safety protocols.
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