It's no secret that the pandemic has thrown a wrench into the plans of several leagues, forcing either postponements or cancellations of their 2020-21 seasons due to the risk of exposure and transmission of the virus to players, patrons and all forms of off-ice personnel.
With the NHL's board of governors having already green lit plans to proceed with the 2020-21 season, it appears as though the AHL is next in line to see their board of governors approve plans to proceed as well.
On Wednesday afternoon, the AHL released a statement through its PR team's official Twitter account confirming that the league plans to commence its 2020-21 season on February 5th, 2021.
No further details were provided, other than to say that teams can now begin planning for the upcoming season.
I assume this means we can expect a list of important AHL dates in short order, much like the way the NHL announced alternative dates for its training camps, free agency, trade deadline, etc.
Needless to say, this is great news for both NHL clubs and their AHL affiliates, as it gets minor league players and prospects skating again and allows for continued development, rather than just informal skates and dry land training.
One interesting situation to look out for, the NHL's Canadian teams are apparently looking at the logistics of having their AHL affiliates share their home arenas, which would likely mean a North Division for the AHL as well, per Bruce Garrioch.
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2021 is looking up, and with the vaccine already being administered in areas around the globe, hopefully things begin to resemble something close to normal towards the end of the season/the beginning of the 2021-22 season, fan attendance and all.
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