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NHL aiming for November training camp start?

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 10/4/20

The 2019-20 NHL season was just capped off by the Tampa Bay Lightning winning the Stanley Cup. With the coronavirus pandemic causing the postseason to be played over the summer and into the fall, the league now is faced with questions about when the 2020-21 campaign will start.

According to Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry was informed to be prepared for the start of training camp to open on Nov. 15.

Tristan Jarry indicated he and his teammates have been told to prepare for training camp to start on Nov. 15.
— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) October 3, 2020

Someone replied to the tweet, asking if it's because the Penguins were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs early on, but Rorabaugh indicated that the league issued a Nov. 15 targeted start date.

From what I understand, that’s the date the league issued.

That said, it’s more of a target than a hard date.
— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) October 4, 2020

Teams are usually given about a month to prepare for the upcoming season through training camp and preseason games. If the NHL indeed is aiming for a November start, then the 2020-21 campaign could begin as early as December.

However, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman revealed last month that the beginning of the season could be pushed back to January, meaning training camps may either be longer than intended or will begin later than November.

Rumors also have begun to circulate that the league could have more than two host cities for the 2020-21 season, indicating a potential bubble format. While Edmonton and Toronto very well could host teams again, other areas of the United States could be used as bubbles also.

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