2019–20 NHL season

**The 2019–20 NHL season** is the 103rd season of operation (102nd season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL) that began on October 2, 2019 and was suspended indefinitely on March 12, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On May 22, 2020, the NHL and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) agreed to a framework for the resumption of play (which would see the remainder of the regular season scrapped).

The top 12 teams in each conference (by points percentage) will compete in a modified and expanded Stanley Cup playoffs, which the NHL plans to hold in two centralized "hub cities" with no spectators and only essential staff present.

## League Business

### Collective Bargaining Agreement

The current collective bargaining agreement (or CBA) will enter into its eighth season. Before the season starts, the NHL can choose to opt out of the CBA on September 1, 2019, or the NHLPA can choose to opt out of the CBA on September 19, 2019. Either way, the CBA would expire at the end of the 2021–22 season.

### Salary cap

The Salary Cap is $81.5M, as announced on June 22, 2019.

### Rule changes

The following rule changes were proposed June 19, 2019 and approved the next day:

* The league adopted the David Leggio Rule: deliberately moving the goalposts off its moorings to stop play on a breakaway will result in an awarded goal to the offensive team.
* In the event a net is inadvertently knocked off its moorings, or if a puck shot from beyond center ice is stopped and frozen by the goaltender, the face-off will take place in the goaltender's defensive zone, with the team on offense given choice of side. In such cases, the defensive team will not be allowed to make a line change.
* A puck that leaves out of play in the offensive zone will remain in the offensive zone for the next face-off.
* All major penalties except for fighting will be subject to automatic video review; officials will reserve authority to reduce the penalty to a minor penalty depending on the result of the review.
* Players that lose their helmet during play must return to the bench as soon as it is feasible until it can be replaced, or the player must retrieve their helmet.

### Player and puck tracking technology

After testing at the 2019 NHL All-Star Game, the NHL plans to deploy player and puck tracking systems to all 31 NHL arenas prior to the start of the 2019–20 season.

This technology was developed by SAP and Sportvision, using microchips embedded inside pucks and jerseys.

It enables on-air features such as speed displays, puck tracking graphics (reminiscent of the FoxTrax graphics utilized in the late 1990's by previous U.S. national NHL broadcaster Fox, also developed by Sportvision), and marker graphics hovering above players.

### Media rights

This will be the ninth season under the NHL's ten year deal with NBC Sports and sixth season of its twelve year Canadian rights deal with Sportsnet and TVA Sports.

On January 2, 2019, the Chicago Blackhawks agreed to an exclusive multi-year deal with NBC Sports Chicago beginning with the 2019–20 season, ending the team's broadcasts on WGN-TV.

Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios combined to purchase the former Fox Sports regional networks (FSN).

Twelve of the NHL's 31 teams (Anaheim, Arizona, Carolina, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Florida, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis, and Tampa Bay) carry their television broadcasts through FSN.

FSN was one of the properties Fox Corporation's predecessor 21st Century Fox divested in its sale to The Walt Disney Company, but which The Walt Disney Company could not keep due to antitrust concerns.

This is Entertainment Studios' first entry into sports, while Sinclair has had a sports operation since 2014 that currently distributes the free-to-air network Stadium and is concurrently expanding into the regional sports network business with its stakes in these networks, YES Network and the upcoming Chicago-based Marquee Sports Network.

### Draft

The 2019 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 21 and 22, 2019.

### Preseason games in Europe

Two preseason games will be played in Europe.

The Chicago Blackhawks will play against Eisbaren Berlin at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany, on September 29, 2019.

The Philadelphia Flyers will play against Lausanne HC at Vaudoise Arena in Lausanne, Switzerland on September 30, 2019.

## Regular Season

The regular season will begin on October 2, 2019, and will end on April 4, 2020.

### International games

Three regular season games (branded as the NHL Global Series) will be played in Europe.

The Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers will play their regular season-opening game on October 4, 2019 at O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic.

The Buffalo Sabres and Tampa Bay Lightning will play two games at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden on November 8 and 9, 2019.

### Outdoor games

Three outdoor games have been scheduled for the 2019–20 season:

* The fifth Heritage Classic will be held on October 26, 2019, at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan, featuring the Calgary Flames and the Winnipeg Jets.
* The Winter Classic will be held on January 1, 2020, at Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, featuring the Nashville Predators and the Dallas Stars.
* The Stadium Series will be held on February 15, 2020, at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, featuring the Los Angeles Kings and the Colorado Avalanche.

### All-Star Game

The 2020 NHL All-Star Game was held in St. Louis, Missouri, at the Enterprise Center, the home of the St. Louis Blues on January 26, 2020.

### Postponed Game

The St. Louis Blues-Anaheim Ducks game on February 11, 2020, was suspended at a 1−1 tie with 7:50 left in the first period after Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester collapsed on the bench in a medical emergency due to a cardiac episode. He eventually had an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator procedure and placed on injured reserve.

The game was made up on March 11, 2020; this resulted in the Blues' home game against the Florida Panthers being moved one day earlier from March 10 to March 9, 2020.

### Suspension of the regular season due to COVID-19, modified playoff format

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe, concern began to build that large crowds at sporting events would spread the virus that causes COVID-19.

In early March 2020, the NHL suspended media access to the locker rooms, saying that only official personnel would be allowed in after the games to limit person-to-person contact, but after the NBA suspended all games when two players tested positive for COVID-19, the NHL scheduled a meeting to discuss pausing the season.

On March 12, 2020, the morning practice sessions and media access were cancelled for all teams. Shortly after, they announced the 2019–20 season had been suspended indefinitely; this became the biggest interruption to regular NHL season games since the 2012–13 NHL lockout. All players and hockey staff were asked to self-quarantine in their home cities until further notice.

On March 17, 2020, it was announced that a player from the Ottawa Senators tested positive for COVID-19. On March 21, 2020, it was announced that a second Senators player tested positive for COVID-19. Two Colorado Avalanche players have also tested positive for the virus.

On April 4, 2020, the originally intended date for the final games of the regular season, Commissioner Gary Bettman participated in a call with U.S. president Donald Trump and other sport commissioners on the state of the sport world.

### Modified playoff format, return to play

On May 22, the league and the NHLPA agreed on a basic framework to stage a 24-team playoff tournament behind closed doors. The seeds would be based on each club's points percentage when the season paused on March 12, 2020 (effectively scrapping the remainder of the regular season).

The top four seeds in each conference would get a bye while the next eight seeds in each conference would play in a best-of-five series.

Many of the logistics still needed to be negotiated including COVID-19 testing protocols, visas, and whether these games would be held in one or more "hub" cities as the Canada–United States border would remain closed to non-essential travel until June 21, 2020. On that same day, the U.S. government announced that foreign athletes would be exempted from pandemic-related travel bans still in effect.

On May 26, 2020, Bettman formally discussed aspects of the "Return to Play Plan", including the proposed 24-team playoff format (with the top four teams in each conference playing a round robin tournament under regular season overtime rules to determine their seeds), and modifications to the procedures for the Draft Lottery.

Aspects of the format (including the possibility of a best-of-five format for the first and second round, and changes to bracketing) were still being negotiated, but it was stated that the conference finals and Stanley Cup Finals would still use a best-of-seven series.

Bettman stated that at least two hub cities would be used for the playoffs, shortlisting hosts such as Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Vancouver. Health, testing, and security protocols would be in place at these sites.

On June 4, 2020, it was announced that the NHL and NHLPA had approved aspects of the format that had not yet been finalized during the May 26th briefing, with the first and second rounds proper using a best-of-seven format as usual, and all teams being reseeded after each round (to account for the lack of home advantage due to all games being played at a neutral site).

It was reported that the NHL planned to have one American host and one Canadian host. As Canada's Quarantine Act currently requires all travellers entering the country to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly stated that this may impact the ability to use Canadian host cities unless these issues can be addressed.

On June 10, 2020, British Columbia Premier John Horgan stated that the province's medical officer Bonnie Henry had endorsed proposed protocols developed by the Vancouver Canucks in collaboration with local officials, and that they were being sent to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for federal approval; these include allowing the NHL to "cohort" players and restrict their access to the general public.

Phase 2 of the "Return to Play Plan" began on June 8, 2020. Players are allowed to resume use of team practice facilities in small groups (no more than six), with only players allowed on-ice and no other agents or press admitted. Players must self-isolate for 14 days if they use public transport, and will be regularly monitored and tested for COVID-19.

If a player tests positive, they may not attend training until cleared, with teams suggested to use guidelines issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Training camps (phase 3) are planned to reopen on July 10, 2020. Amidst an intense growth of new cases in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning temporarily closed their training facility on June 19, 2020 after several staff members and three players tested positive for COVID-19.

On June 24, 2020, it was reported by Sportsnet that Vancouver's bid had been complicated by disagreements over protocols for positive cases. The next day, Global BC's Richard Zussman reported that the NHL had "moved on [for now]" from Vancouver and was increasing its focus on Edmonton and Toronto as potential sites.

While Las Vegas was initially considered a front-runner, a spike of cases in Nevada and other U.S. states led to reports on July 1, 2020 that the NHL had decided on Edmonton and Toronto as the sites.

## Uniforms

* To coincide with the 50th anniversary of the franchise in the NHL, the Vancouver Canucks unveiled brand new home and away jerseys that will be worn during the season. The Canucks will also wear brand new third jerseys for select games. Finally, the Canucks will wear their 1990s throwback jerseys for select games. The design was chosen via an online vote over two other throwback jersey options.

## Milestones

### First Games

The following is a list of notable players who played their first NHL game during the 2019–20 season (listed with their first team)

* Jack Hughes: New Jersey Devils (1st overall draft pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft)
* Kaapo Kakko: Edmonton Oilers (2nd overall draft pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft)
* Kirby Dach: Chicago Blackhawks (3rd overall draft pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft)

### Last Games

* Colby Cave: Edmonton Oilers (died on April 11, 2020 after suffering from a brain bleed four days earlier)

### Major milestones reached

**October**

* On October 8, 2019, Florida Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle became the fifth player in NHL history and the first American-born to play in 800 consecutive games.
* On October 12, 2019, Arizona Coyotes forward Phil Kessel played his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 338th player to reach the mark.
* On October 20, 2019, Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice won his 700th game, becoming the seventh head coach to reach that mark.

**November**

* On November 3, 2019, Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf played his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 339th player to reach the mark.
* On November 5, 2019, Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara played his 1,500th NHL game.
* On November 13, 2019, Dallas Stars forward Corey Perry played his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 340th player to reach the mark.
* On November 16, 2019, Florida Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville won his 900th game, becoming the second coach in NHL history to reach the mark.
* On November 16, 2019, Los Angeles Kings forward Jeff Carter played his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 341st player to reach the mark.

**December**

* On December 1, 2019, Edmonton Oilers forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl became the first set of teammates to have 50 points in 29 games since Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Ron Francis did so with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1995–96.
* On December 9, 2019, Washington Capitals equipment manager Craig "Woody" Leydig worked his 2,500th NHL game.
* On December 14, 2019, San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic played his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 343rd player to reach the mark.
* On December 15, 2019, Minnesota Wild forward Eric Staal became the 89th player in NHL history to score 1,000 points.
* On December 20, 2019, Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski played his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 344th player to reach the mark.

**January**

* On January 9, 2020, Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne became the 12th goaltender in NHL history to score a goal in an NHL game.
* On January 19, 2020, Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane got his 1,000th NHL career point (assisting on a goal by Brandon Saad), becoming the fourth player in Blackhawks franchise history to reach that mark (along with Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull & Denis Savard)

**February**

* On February 1, 2020, Detroit Red Wings forward Valtteri Filppula played his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 345th player to reach the mark.
* On February 1, 2020, St. Louis Blues forward Alexander Steen played his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 346th player to reach the mark.
* On February 4, 2020, San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton became the 14th player to score 1,500 points.
* On February 7, 2020, Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins became the first rookie goaltender to have five shutouts in an eight-game span since Frank Brimsek (1938–39).
* On February 7, 2020, Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise played his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 347th player to reach the mark.
* On February 13, 2020, Dallas Stars forward Andrew Cogliano played his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 348th player to reach the mark.
* On February 22, 2020, Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin scored his 700th career goal, becoming the eighth player to reach the mark.