Bettman confirms next season may start late

There's been a lot of talk the last week or two about the start of the 2020-21 season being delayed. Some estimates have said it may not start until as late as December. This is something the commissioner of the NHL, Gary Bettman, has now confirmed.

“We have a great deal of flexibility in terms of when we can start,” Bettman told the NHL Network in a phone interview. “There's no magic for next season of starting in October as we traditionally do. If we have to start in November or December, that's something that will be under consideration.

“We're going to try and make good, prudent, careful judgments. This isn't a race to be first back. When we come back, we want it to be at the right time, for the right reasons, under the right circumstances.”

Recent reports have also stated the delay of the 2020-21 season will also likely mean the elimination of the All-Star game, at least for one year, as well as the usual bye week, which started in 2015 in return for the players' agreement to change the All-Star game to its current three-on-three tournament format.

Bettman did address the potential return of the 2019-20 season, saying he's been working a lot with Return To Play Committee, which is composed of league officials, as well as player representatives.

"Having the committee that's been put together with the players is important so that we can get the feedback on the issues that are important to them and how to resolve them, and that we can be communicating how we're focusing on the things we think that need to be done,” Bettman said. “It's been extraordinarily collaborative, constructive and cooperative, and I couldn't be more pleased with the interaction that we're having.”

As of now, there is still no definitive date on when the NHL might resume and finish the 2019-20 season. Latest reports stated the league was hoping to open training facilities around mid-to-late May, although nothing has been confirmed.

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