NHL announces plans to resume season

The NHL season will resume this summer, directly into playoffs that will be contested in two "hub cities" for the duration of the tournament, Commissioner Gary Bettman announced.

Cities being considered as playoff hosts are Chicago; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Edmonton, Alberta; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; St. Paul, Minnesota; Pittsburgh; Toronto; and Vancouver, British Columbia, NBC News reported.

Bettman said that health safeguards will be "paramount" and that each hub city will have a "comprehensive system of testing."

The only people allowed in the arenas would be players, coaches and a limited number of support staff members of the participating teams, the league said.

Players will be allowed to meet in groups of no more than six early next month to begin practice for the renewed season, officials said Monday. The league was vague in naming any dates to start or end play, only targeting training camp to begin no later than July 1.

The last NHL games were played March 11, before the pandemic put virtually all of the world's professional sports on hold.