It's official: the NHL and NHLPA have come to a tentative agreement on the 2021 season, which will start January 13 and consist of 56 games. Team training camps open on January 3, while teams who didn't make the bubble playoffs this past season can start their training camps as soon as December 31.
Another huge difference with this coming season compared to those in previous years is that the conferences have been abolished and the divisions have been realigned since the U.S.-Canada border has been closed to non-essential travel due to COVID-19. All of the Canadian-based teams have been placed in one division known as the North Division, which consists of the Canucks, Flames, Oilers, Jets, Maple Leafs, Senators, and Canadiens. The U.S.-based teams have been divided into the other three divisions for this coming season to minimize travel and possible exposure to COVID-19. Those divisions are the West, Central, and East. The Sharks have been placed in the West Division with the Kings, Ducks, Golden Knights, Coyotes, Avalanche, Blues, and Wild. The new Central Division consists of the Blackhawks, Predators, Panthers, Lightning, Blue Jackets, Red Wings, Hurricanes, and Stars. The East Division consists of the Bruins, Sabres, Devils, Rangers, Islanders, Penguins, Flyers, and Capitals. The division realignment is expected to spark new rivalries and reignite previous rivalries in the NHL.
Teams in the East, Central, and West Divisions will play every other respective division opponent eight times, while the all-Canadian division teams will face every other Canadian-based team nine or ten times over the course of the 2021 season. Most teams will play games at their home arenas, while a few teams may have to play at neutral sites because COVID-19 restrictions in their local areas may not allow them to play and practice where they normally would. Most teams are expected to start the 2021 season without fans in attendance, but may be able to allow a limited number of fans at games depending on how the pandemic progresses in their local areas. The top four in each division will advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Intradivisional play will continue until the Semifinal round, in which the teams that reach the Semifinals will be reseeded by their regular season point total. In each playoff round, the 1 seed would play the 4 seed, while the 2 seed will play the 3 seed, whether it's intradivisional or not.
Other key dates during the upcoming season include the trade deadline on April 12, the end of the regular season on May 8, and the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 11. The Seattle Expansion Draft is scheduled for July 21, while the NHL Entry Draft will be held on July 23 and 24. Free agency is set to begin on July 28. The NHL is expecting to return to normal for 2021-22, with that season starting in October and consisting of a full 82 games and the return of the regular divisions that we all knew and have been accustomed to.
As for the Sharks, they were one of the seven teams that didn't participate in the bubble playoffs this past season, so they will begin their training camp ahead of most other NHL teams. However, the Sharks will have to hold their training camp in Arizona due to a health order banning all organized sports in Santa Clara County to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Team Teal is also prepared to play next season outside of San Jose if they have to. I hope the Sharks don't have to spend all of this coming season outside of San Jose as this would be a big hassle for the players, coaching staff, team personnel, and their families. You may have seen how this same health order by Santa Clara County health officials has screwed over the 49ers in the NFL this year. I fear it may have the same effect on the Sharks as it did on the 49ers, but let's see what happens in the coming months.
The NHL still has to clear a few more obstacles before getting underway with the 2021 season, but the bulk of their issues regarding this coming season have been resolved. At the end of the day, I'm just grateful that there will be another NHL season and the league was able to work something out despite the current and ever-changing circumstances with the pandemic. I am expecting some surprises this coming season due to the NHL's unpredictable nature, but I don't know what form they will take. Most of all, I hope the Sharks bounce back from last season, perform well, and make the playoffs, and I know they're more than capable of doing so.
Source: NHL.com
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