NHL back in business after agreeing on a 56-game season to start Jan. 13

Game on. The NHL and the NHL Players Association agreed Sunday to hold a 56-game season starting Jan. 13, with the Ducks and Kings to open training camps as early as Dec. 31 and to begin the coronavirus-delayed and shortened season Jan. 13.

The schedule will be announced in the coming days, the league and the union said. The Ducks and Kings last played March 11, one day before the NHL suspended its season due to the pandemic. Play resumed Aug. 1 without the Southern California rivals and five other teams that weren’t among the top 24 in the standings.

Each of the league’s 31 teams will play in four temporary, re-aligned divisions for the upcoming season. The Ducks and Kings will be placed in the West Division, with the Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues and Vegas Golden Knights.

The Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks will depart the Pacific Division for the season, joining with the other four Canadian teams to form the North Division because of the difficulty of crossing the United States-Canada border.

Teams will play only within their divisions in order to cut down on travel and increase safety.

“The National Hockey League looks forward to the opening of our 2020-21 season, especially since the Return to Play in 2019-20 was so successful in crowning a Stanley Cup champion,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “While we are well aware of the challenges ahead, as was the case last spring and summer, we are continuing to prioritize the health and safety of our participants and the communities in which we live and play. And, as was the case last spring and summer, I thank the NHLPA, particularly executive director Don Fehr, for working cooperatively with us to get our league back on the ice.”

More to come on this story.

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