Canadian NHL teams play at home

The National Hockey League (NHL) says it has been successful in reaching an agreement with health officials in Canadian provinces to allow teams to play their games in their respective fields.

Antoine Trussart
Tap

“In addition to last week’s discussions, we believe that based on our exchanges over the past 24 hours, we agree on the conditions under which all Canadian teams can start the 2020-2021 season at home,” he said. Bill Dolly, Assistant Commissioner of the NHL on Twitter.

According to Darren Dreger, an analyst at TSN, the NHL and the Players’ Association have agreed to subject players to a more rigorous testing protocol. Famous players in the league must also commit to participating in the airing of public service advertisements related to the epidemic.

Officials in the five provinces that host the NHL team have not confirmed the deal.

According to a letter received by TSN, it is one of two projects proposed to the NHL by public health officials. The second proposes to play the 2020-2021 season in balloons, which will have limited travel as in the previous season.

The NHL season begins on January 13 and consists of 56 games. Canadian league teams play together in the North Division. The chaotic schedule includes several matches between teams that meet nine or ten times in a row.