Late on Monday night, TSN’s Darren Dreger and TSN/The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun provided updates on the NHL and NHLPA’s attempts to negotiate a start to a 2020-2021 season:
Sources say there will be no more discussions on proposed financial changes to the MOU outlining the terms of the CBA. Sunday the NHLPA proposed more deferred money, but didn’t include an increase in escrow percentage at any point. Focus now on a mid Jan start to season.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) December 8, 2020
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
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
Update: Here’s even more from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman:
What’s next? Both sides continue to grind away at the protocols for 2020-21. Training camps, opt-outs, testing, the schedule, the playoffs, re-alignment, you name it.
Targets include a Jan. 13 start to the season, with non-playoff teams reporting Dec. 28 and others on Jan. 1. No exhibition games appear likely. I believe there is a short-term “hub plan” being worked on just in case, but it is not the preference. The biggest headache might be training camp plans in places like Montreal, San Jose (Arizona?) and Winnipeg, which have strict current restrictions due to COVID-19.
It sounds like there’s a desire to get something done by the end of the week, to be voted on but the Board of Governors and the players. We’ll see where this goes, but the financial discussions are over.
