Though there are plenty of hurdles the NHL is facing before they can return for a 2020-21 season, a fluid plan is starting to take shape. Flexibility is going to be key, as owners have made it clear they want fans in seats as soon as it will be allowed, but local regulations are going to drive how the NHL’s plan adapts.
It seems unavoidable that the season will at least have to start in some kind of bubble system, though the hope is to be less strict than the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs bubbles in Edmonton and Toronto.