We still don't know exactly when the 2020-21 NHL season will begin, but we do now have a start date for the local college hockey teams.
Hockey East announced in a video posted to social media on Friday that its opening night will be Friday, Nov. 20. The exact schedule -- both for that night and for the season as a whole -- has not yet been announced.
The season is expected to be made up of entirely, or almost entirely, conference games, with the Boston Globe reporting that each team is expected to play every other team twice. That would mean 20 games on the men's side and 18 on the women's.
The league is also hoping to play its conference tournament at the end of the season after having to cancel the 2020 version mid-tournament due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Teams have been practicing for about a month and a half as they've waited for a schedule and league-wide testing plans to be finalized in coordination with each school, city and state.
Unsurprisingly, the season will at least start with no fans in attendance. It's also possible the start time for games will be moved up if they have to comply with Massachusetts' 9:30 p.m. curfew for businesses.
The Big Ten and Atlantic Hockey are both expected to begin their seasons next weekend, while the WCHA is planning to start Nov. 20 like Hockey East. The NCHC is aiming to begin Dec. 1 in a "bubble" environment in Omaha, Nebraska. The ECAC will likely be the last to get going, as their situation is complicated by the Ivy League canceling all athletic activities until at least Jan. 1.
