• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Buffalo Sports News

Buffalo Sports News

  • Bills
  • Sabres
  • Colleges
    • Canisius
    • Syracuse
    • University at Buffalo

NHL and NHLPA agree on return to play format and CBA extension

July 8, 2020 by Die By The Blade Leave a Comment

NHL: Chicago Blackhawks at Vancouver Canucks

Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

Details emerge regarding RTP agreement, CBA extension

Despite growing concerns about spiking COVID-19 numbers in North America, which includes 35 NHL players (nearly 10 percent of the player pool,) the NHL and the NHLPA are reported to have reached an agreement to recommence play on August 1. The deal comes after the parties found common ground on an extension of the CBA.

35 confirmed cases of COVID among NHL players (23 of 396 players tested 2,900 times by NHL as part of Phase 2 protocol, 12 tested outside of Phase 2 protocol) since June 8.
League keeping names a secret. No word on how many (if any) had symptoms/are suffering/have recovered. pic.twitter.com/STrTH1fjLm

— Kevin McGran (@kevin_mcgran) July 6, 2020

According to Sportsnet, the 24-team tournament will take place in Edmonton and Toronto. If the agreement is ratified, training camp will begin on July 13, with teams travelling to the hub cities two weeks later on July 26. Western Conference competitors will head to Edmonton and their Eastern Conference counterparts to Toronto. Players will share in a $32 million bonus pool, in which more money is earned by each player the longer their team remains in the tournament.

Players who wish to opt-out of the return to play are able to do so without penalty, and must submit their wishes in writing to their team before the start of camp.

Regulations are in place to attempt to protect the players and staff in what is being called ‘the bubble.’ Elliot Freidman wrote, “There will be pre-testing before everyone travels to the hub, and in the final week before arrival everyone will be asked to stay at home as much as possible, besides going to the rink. Once there, testing will take place on a daily basis, as each team will have a set time each day depending on their schedule…Face covering will be mandatory at all times in the bubble, with social distancing practiced — including restrictions on the number of people allowed in the lobby and on elevators. Everyone will get their own room…And, there will be rules if someone needs to leave for an emergency, in terms of if re-entry will be allowed and the conditions for that.”

Several significant changes were made to the CBA in order to reach an agreement on the return to play. One of the most interesting is that NHL players will return to Olympic play, as long as an agreement can be reached with the IOC. Also notable, there are no more conditional picks in trades based on a player re-signing with the acquiring team. Additionally, in regard to trades, no-move and no-trade clauses now travel with a player who has agreed to lift one, even if they haven’t kicked in (previously, the acquiring team had to agree).

Further details will likely emerge once ratification takes place. Die by the Blade will continue to cover the events leading up to the August 1 return to play.

Filed Under: Sabres

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • NABP | First look at the WR room
  • 2021 Best Buffalo Bills values: No 6—DT Ed Oliver
  • Four Downs: Under-the-radar roster candidates for the Buffalo Bills
  • Billieve: Best Bills Wall of Fame candidates
  • Bills Wall of Famer Ed Abramoski passes away at 88

Categories

Archives

Our Partners

All Sports

  • WIVB 4
  • WGR 550 SportsRadio
  • 247 Sports
  • Bleacher Report
  • ESPN Rochester
  • The Sports Fan Journal
  • The Spun
  • USA Today

Football

  • Buffalo Bills
  • Bills Gab
  • Buffalo Rumblings
  • Bills Wire
  • Buffa Low Down
  • Last Word On Pro Football
  • NFL Trade Rumors
  • Our Turf Football
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Football Talk
  • Total Buffalo Bills

Hockey

  • Die By The Blade
  • Elite Prospects
  • Last Word On Hockey
  • Sabre Noise
  • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Talk
  • The Hockey Writers

College

  • Busting Brackets
  • College Sports Madness
  • Forgotten 5
  • Hustle Belt
  • Inside The Loud House
  • Orange Fizz
  • Saturday Blitz
  • UB Bull Run
  • The Daily Orange
  • Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

Copyright © 2022 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in