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The NHL and players’ association are targetting to start the 2020-21 season on Wednesday, January 13, according to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. Each team would play 56 regular-season games.

However, there is still work to be done regarding protocols, schedules, and key dates before anything gets announced. Any plan would have to be approved by both the players’ association and the board of governors.

According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, there will be no more discussions regarding the Collective Bargaining Agreement after the NHL wanted the players to defer even more than the 10% of their salaries that they previously agreed to during the summer.

To be more specific, Jan 13 is the target date for start of season. However, nothing has been finalized. https://t.co/0wzAXlMPnW

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) December 8, 2020

On Sunday, the NHLPA proposed more deferred money but that did not include any increase in escrow percentage at any point.

Due to the border closure between the United States and Canada as COVID-19 rages across the U.S., the NHL will almost certainly have to realign the divisions for this season. A division consisting of the seven Canadian teams is likely. The 24 teams south of the border would split into three divisions.

Since NBC will cover the 2021 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, the NHL will likely have to award the Stanley Cup before July 23. Though, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said that they have models of the season that extend past that date.

Both sides targeting Jan. 13 start to season in order to get 56-game sked but even with financials no longer an issue as @DarrenDreger first reported, still some work to be done on protocols, schedule, critical date, etc, plus subject to NHL BOG and NHLPA executive board approval https://t.co/ESSjY94Slt

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) December 8, 2020

By Harrison Brown