Phase 3 of the National Hockey League's Return To Play plan kicked off on Monday with all 24 teams taking part in this summer's playoffs reporting to training camp in their home cities. Come Sunday, July 26, each team will be traveling to their respective hub city in Canada to get ready for the commencement of Phase 4 on Saturday, Aug. 1 in either Edmonton, Alberta or Toronto, Ontario.
Just before the league kicks off the official return of play on Aug. 1, each team will get the chance to play an exhibition game to prepare for game action once again after more than four months off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NHL announced on Tuesday the dates and times for each team's exhibition game that will be played between Tuesday, July 28 and Thursday, July 30.
A total of 12 games will be played over a three-day span with three games coming on July 28, six games scheduled for July 29, and three more games to round out the exhibition games on July 30. All of these exhibition games will have a geographical tie to them with most of the teams facing their closest division rival. The only non-divisional exhibition matchup will take place between the Boston Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets on July 30 in Toronto.
The league also announced on Tuesday the starting times for all of the Stanley Cup Qualifying Round games, as well as the seeding round-robin games.
The Return To Play format kicks off on Aug. 1 with five games on the docket, starting with the Carolina Hurricanes taking on the New York Rangers at 12 p.m. ET in Game 1 of their series in Toronto.
Toronto will also host two more games on Aug. 1 with the New York Islanders squaring off with the Florida Panthers at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the Pittsburgh Penguins battling it out with the Montreal Canadiens at 8 p.m. ET.
In the Western Conference, play starts at 3 p.m. ET on Aug. 1 with the Edmonton Oilers playing host to the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1 of their series. Following that game, the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets wrap up the night with the last matchup of Day 1 at 10:30 p.m. ET.
The other three qualifying round series will get underway on Sunday, Aug. 2 with the Nashville Predators taking on the Arizona Coyotes at 2 p.m. ET, the Toronto Maple Leafs matching up with the Columbus Blue Jackets at 8 p.m. ET, and ending with the Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild meeting in Edmonton at 10:30 p.m. ET.
As for the seeding round-robin tournament, those games will get underway on Aug. 2, starting with the Boston Bruins facing the Philadelphia Flyers in Toronto at 3 p.m. ET. Also playing on Aug. 2 will be the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche, who square off at 6:30 p.m. in Edmonton.
Here is the complete schedule for the seeding round-robin games:
Sunday, Aug. 2:
- Bruins vs, Flyers - 3 p.m. ET
- Blues vs. Avalanche - 6:30 p.m. ET
Monday, Aug. 3:
- Lightning vs. Capitals - 4 p.m. ET
- Golden Knights vs. Stars - 6:30 p.m. ET
Wednesday, Aug. 5:
- Bruins vs. Lightning - 4 p.m. ET
- Stars vs. Avalanche - 6:30 p.m. ET
Thursday, Aug. 6:
- Blues vs. Golden Knights - TBD
- Flyers vs. Capitals - TBD
Saturday, Aug. 8:
- Avalanche vs. Golden Knights - TBD
- Capitals vs. Bruins - TBD
Sunday, Aug. 9:
- Blues vs. Stars - TBD
- Lightning vs. Flyers - TBD
Stay tuned for the latest on this developing story...
