NHL, players agree on playoff format

The two sides shook Thursday on the deal, which includes a best-of-five format
for the qualifying round before shifting to the traditional best-of-seven
series format.

The league halted play on March 12 amid the coronavirus pandemic, and
commissioner Gary Bettman announced last week that the NHL would end its
current hiatus with 24 teams resuming play in two hub cities.

Following the qualifying round, all four playoff rounds will be best-of-seven
series. The league and the NHLPA also agreed the playoffs would not follow the
traditional bracketed format, but instead they will be seeded again after
every round.

"While nothing is without risk, ensuring health and safety has been central to
all of our planning so far and will remain so," Bettman said last week. "Let
me assure you that the reason we are doing this is because our fans have told
us in overwhelming numbers that they want to complete the season if at all
possible. And our players and our teams are clear that they want to play and
bring the season to its rightful conclusion."

Also Thursday, the league announced a transition to Phase 2 of its Return to
Play Plan, allowing teams to reopen their training facilities starting June 8
to let players return for voluntary workouts. Not a substitute for training
camp, Phase 2 gives players a "safe and controlled environment in which to
resume their conditioning," the league said in a statement.

The league is targeting the start of games in late July or early August, but
much still must be figured out. That includes the two hub cities, whether
family members will be able to join the players in the hub, and measures to
combat the coronavirus.

Bettman has said the NHL will test players daily for COVID-19.

Players will not be required to return to their home cities until training
camp begins, which is expected to happen before the middle of next month. The
NHL and NHLPA still have not determined how long the training camp will last.

The top four teams in each conference are guaranteed playoff spots, and they
will play a single round-robin competition to determine seeding. Meanwhile,
teams ranked fifth through 12th in each conference will face off in the
qualifying round for the final four spots in each conference's playoffs.

In the Eastern Conference, that means the Boston Bruins (ranked first), Tampa
Bay Lightning (second), Washington Capitals (third) and Philadelphia Flyers
(fourth) will receive playoff spots, with round-robin play to determine
seeding. The next eight East teams will play in best-of-five series, with the
matchups as follows:

No. 5 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 12 Montreal Canadiens

No. 6 Carolina Hurricanes vs. No. 11 New York Rangers

No. 7 New York Islanders vs. No. 10 Florida Panthers

No. 8 Toronto Blue Jackets vs. No. 9 Columbus Blue Jackets

In the West, the St. Louis Blues (first), Colorado Avalanche (second), Vegas
Golden Knights (third) and Dallas Stars (fourth) have locked in playoff spots,
with round-robin play to determine seeding. The next eight West teams will
play best-of-five series, with these matchups:

No. 5 Edmonton Oilers vs. No. 12 Chicago Blackhawks

No. 6 Nashville Predators vs. No. 11 Arizona Coyotes

No. 7 Vancouver Canucks vs. No. 10 Minnesota Wild

No. 8 Calgary Flames vs. No. 9 Winnipeg Jets

--Field Level Media