Elizabeth Chen (10) | STAFF REPORTER
On January 13, 2021, the NHL began a 56 games marathon for its regular season. The NHL plans to begin playoffs around early May, with the Stanley Cup being awarded at the latest in July.
The COVID pandemic has significantly affected the NHL season. For instance, the pandemic has resulted in the number of games played to be decreased from 82 games to 56. Due to the border restrictions currently imposed by the Canadian government, the divisions have also been temporarily rearranged. By using this format, the NHL seeks to reduce traveling for this season.
The teams are organized in the following divisions:
The North Division:
- Calgary Flames
- Edmonton Oilers
- Montreal Canadiens
- Ottawa Senators
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Vancouver Canucks
- Winnipeg Jets
The West Division:
- Anaheim Ducks
- Arizona Coyotes
- Colorado Avalanche
- Los Angeles Kings
- Minnesota Wild
- St. Louis Blues
- San Jose Sharks
- Vegas Golden Knights
The Central Division:
- Carolina Hurricanes
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- Dallas Stars
- Detroit Red Wings
- Florida Panthers
- Nashville Predators
- Tampa Bay Lightning
The East Division:
- Boston Bruins
- Buffalo Sabres
- New Jersey Devils
- New York Islanders
- New York Rangers
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Washington Capitals
NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman, acknowledged the need for versatility for this season in his recent press conference. Bettman remarked, “ “We also understand, as we have throughout, that in order to accomplish our goal we’re going to need to be flexible and agile in how we deal with whatever we’re confronted with.”
Although these divisions are only a temporary solution, fans are already looking forward to ten regular season games of the Battle of Alberta and the Battle of Pennsylvania.
