The NHL said Monday that it has reached a tentative deal with its players union for the league to resume its interrupted season. As part of a deal to add four years to its collective bargaining agreement, the league has set August for the start of its playoff-qualifying round. The deal, which still must be approved by the boards of the NHL and the NHL Players Association, sets July 13 for the start of training camps and July 26 for teams to travel to the two “hub cities” of Toronto and Edmonton.
A person with knowledge of the situation said the return-to-play protocols would only go into effect if each side votes to approve the full package of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) extension and return-to-play agreement. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because CBA talks are still ongoing.
The NHL said Friday it has informed the NHL Players’ Association it will not use its option to terminate the existing collective bargaining agreement next year. The league announced its decision two days before its deadline to notify the union whether it would reopen collective bargaining talks. The union has until Sept. 15 to decide on whether to terminate the agreement as of September 2020, two years before the existing deal expires.
