When the NHL returns Aug. 1 with its 24-team Return To Play tournament format fans will turn to their regional networks to watch games, according to Greg Wyshynski of ESPN.
For Blackhawks fans this means watching Chicago, the No. 12 seed, play a best-of-five qualifier series against the No. 5 seed Oilers on NBC Sports Chicago. The top four teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences will play in a round robin for seeding purposes. If the Blackhawks defeat the Oilers, they’ll play the West’s top seed in the first round of the playoffs.