NHLPA accepts league's 24-team return-to-play proposal, with some issues still to be negotiated

A goal sits on the empty ice prior to the Red Wings' scheduled game against the Capitals at Capital One Arena on March 12 in Washington. Credit: Getty Images/Patrick Smith
The NHL Players’ Association is accepting the league’s 24-team return-to-play proposal, though critical issues still need to be negotiated before the sides have a full agreement.
The NHLPA, in a statement Friday night, said its executive board had authorized further negotiations with the league. The executive board concluded two days of voting on the proposal earlier on Friday.
“The Executive Board of the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) has authorized further negotiations with the NHL on a 24-team return to play format to determine the winner of the 2020 Stanley Cup,” the NHLPA said in a statement. “Several details remain to be negotiated and an agreement on the format would still be subject to the parties reaching agreement on all issues relevant to resuming play.”
An announcement on a final form of the proposal is expected within the next few days.
Under this scenario, the NHL will resume play with 24 of its 31 teams — 12 from each conference — split into two hub cities. Both the Islanders and Rangers will be included.
The top four teams in each conference will receive a first-round bye but play a three-game round-robin to determine the final standings. The next eight teams in each conference will participate in a best-of-five series to play in for a 16-team playoff bracket. All subsequent series will be best-of-sevens.
The top 12 teams in each conference will be determined by point percentage. All 31 teams had played between 68 and 71 games when play was halted on March 12 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The seventh-seeded Islanders will face the No. 10 Florida Panthers in the first round, with the winner facing the Eastern Conference’s second seed, currently the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 11th-seeded Rangers will face the No. 6 Carolina Hurricanes, with the winner meeting the third seed, currently the Washington Capitals.
With limited travel, it’s possible the Stanley Cup will be awarded approximately two months after play resumes.
Any formal announcement of this model is not likely to pinpoint an actual start date.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has said play might resume in July or August, with the start of the 2020-21 season pushed back to December.
There are health and logistical issues that need to be resolved, even with a return-to-play model agreed upon.
The league’s players and personnel still are under a self-quarantine recommendation issued when play was halted. There still are international travel restrictions, and any player returning to North America, or even crossing the border between the United States and Canada, might be required to self-quarantine for an additional two weeks.
The players likely will need up to three weeks of a second training camp to safely be able to participate in an NHL game.
The NHL hopes to be able to reopen its practice facilities to small-group workouts by the end of this month, provided health and government officials say it’s safe.