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The National Hockey League (NHL) began its second century in 2017. Since 2017, the NHL has added two new teams, adding the Vegas Golden Knights and the Seattle Kraken to the Western Conference. The COVID-19 pandemic was a major disruption to the league during the 2019–20, 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons. The NHL played games without spectators, in controlled conditions.

History

Two first–time champions

The six–year streak of a Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, or Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup win came to an end in 2018. The Washington Capitals, not seen in the Stanley Cup Finals since their loss to the Detroit Red Wings in 1998, won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. The Capitals won in five games over the Vegas Golden Knights, who made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season. In 2019, the St. Louis Blues won their first Stanley Cup championship over the Boston Bruins in seven games.

Outdoor games

During the NHL's 100th anniversary celebrations in 2017, two one-off outdoor games were held in Eastern Canada. The NHL Centennial Classic took place at Toronto's BMO Field on January 1, 2017, and it featured a rematch of the 2014 Winter Classic between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs. Then on December 16, 2017, the NHL 100 Classic between the Canadiens and Senators was played at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa, Canada commemorating the first games of the NHL in 1917.

A unique series of NHL outdoor games took place on February 20 and 21, 2021 at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort near Lake Tahoe in Nevada. The NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe event saw the Vegas Golden Knights play the Colorado Avalanche in the first game and the Bruins and Flyers in the second. Unlike previous NHL outdoor games, it was not held in a stadium or ballpark but in a golf course overlooking the lake, and no fans were in attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This event replaced both the 2021 Winter Classic and Stadium Series due to the shortened season (see below).

Overall, 31 NHL outdoor games have taken place since 2008.

Olympic participation

In 2018, the NHL elected not to send its players to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. In 2024, the NHL announced that it would contribute players to the 2026 Winter Olympics. On February 2, 2024, the IIHF announced that NHL players will participate in the Olympics for the first time since 2014. NHL players were originally scheduled to participate in 2022 but opted out due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vegas and Seattle additions

In 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights joined the NHL, increasing league membership to 31 teams. In its first season as a franchise, the Golden Knights became an immediate success, reaching the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals and capturing the Pacific Division title, a feat never seen before in North American professional sports. However they lost the series 4–1 to the Washington Capitals, losing the last game 4–3. However in 2023, following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Golden Knights would win their first Stanley Cup, becoming the second fastest expansion team to win their first Stanley Cup.

On December 4, 2018, it was announced that a team in Seattle, later named the Seattle Kraken, would be the 32nd team in the league. Upon debuting in 2021, the Kraken joined the Pacific Division while moving the Coyotes to the Central Division alongside the modern-day Winnipeg Jets.

COVID-19 concerns

The NHL halted play in the 2019–20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, indefinitely postponing the remainder of the regular season and playoffs. In early March 2020, the NHL suspended media access to the locker rooms, saying that only official personnel would be allowed in after the games to limit person-to-person contact. But after the National Basketball Association (NBA) suspended all games when two players tested positive for the disease, the NHL scheduled a meeting to discuss pausing the season. On March 12, the morning practice sessions and media access were cancelled for all teams. Shortly after, they announced the 2019–20 season was paused indefinitely. It was the biggest interruption to an NHL season since the 2012–13 NHL lockout. On March 17, it was announced that a player from the Ottawa Senators tested positive for COVID-19. On March 21, it was announced that a second Senators player tested positive for COVID-19. Two Colorado Avalanche players also tested positive for the virus. On April 4, the originally intended date for the final games of the regular season, Commissioner Gary Bettman participated in a call with President Donald Trump and other sport commissioners on the state of the sport world.

On May 22, the league and the NHLPA agreed on a basic framework to stage a 24-team playoff tournament behind closed doors. The seeds would be based on each club's points percentage when the season paused on March 12 (effectively scrapping the remainder of the regular season). The top four seeds in each conference would get a bye, while the next eight seeds in each conference would play in a best-of-five series. Many of the logistics still have to be negotiated, including COVID-19 testing protocols, visas, and whether these games would be held in one or more "hub" cities as the Canada–United States border remains closed to non-essential travel until June 21. That same day, the U.S. government announced that foreign athletes would be exempted from pandemic-related travel bans still in effect.

On May 25, the NHL announced "phase 2" of its "Return to Play Plan", which was to begin at some point in June. Players would be allowed to resume use of team practice facilities in small groups (no more than six), with only players allowed on-ice and no other agents or press admitted. Players must self-isolate for 14 days if they use public transport, and would be regularly monitored and tested for COVID-19. If a player tests positive, they may not attend training until cleared, with teams suggested to use guidelines issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Training camps (phase 3) are planned to reopen after July 1.

On May 26, Bettman formally discussed aspects of the "Return to Play Plan", including the proposed 24-team playoff format (with the top four teams in each conference playing a round robin tournament under regular season overtime rules to determine their seeds), and modifications to the procedures for the Draft Lottery. Whether the first and second round proper would use a best-of-five format as opposed to seven was to be determined, the conference finals and Stanley Cup Finals were each to remain a best-of-seven series. Bettman stated that at least two hub cities would be used for the playoffs, shortlisting hosts such as Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Toronto (the latter two of which would be chosen by the league on July 1). Health, testing, and security protocols would be in place at these sites. As Canadian law requires all travellers entering the country to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly stated that this may impact the ability to use Canadian host cities unless these issues can be addressed.

On June 4, it was announced that the NHL and NHLPA had approved aspects of the format that had not yet been finalized during the May 26 briefing, with the first and second rounds proper using a best-of-seven format as usual, and all teams being reseeded after each round (to account for the lack of home advantage due to all games being played at a neutral site).

It was reported that the NHL planned to have one American host and one Canadian host. As Canada's Quarantine Act currently requires all travellers entering the country to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival, Deputy Commissioner Daly stated that this may impact the ability to use Canadian host cities unless these issues can be addressed. On June 10, British Columbia Premier John Horgan stated that the province's medical officer Bonnie Henry had endorsed proposed protocols developed by the Vancouver Canucks in collaboration with local officials, and that they were being sent to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for federal approval. These include allowing the NHL to "cohort" players and restrict their access to the general public.

Phase Two of the "Return to Play Plan" began on June 8. Players are allowed to resume use of team practice facilities in small groups (no more than six), with only players allowed on-ice and no other agents or press admitted. Players must self-isolate for 14 days if they use public transport, and would be regularly monitored and tested for COVID-19. If a player tests positive, they may not attend training until they have been cleared, with teams suggested to use guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Training camps (phase three) were planned to reopen on July 10. Amidst an intense growth of new cases in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning temporarily closed their training facility on June 19 after several staff members and three players tested positive for COVID-19.

On June 24, Rogers Sportsnet reported that Vancouver's bid had been complicated by disagreements over protocols for positive cases. The next day, Global BC's Richard Zussman reported that the NHL had "moved on " from Vancouver, and was increasing its focus on Edmonton and Toronto as potential sites. While Las Vegas was initially considered a front-runner, a spike of cases in Nevada and other U.S. states led to reports on July 1 that the NHL had decided on Edmonton and Toronto as the sites.

On July 10, the NHL confirmed that it had ratified agreements with the NHLPA to begin the playoffs on August 1 (concluding no later than early October), with games being hosted by Edmonton (Western Conference early rounds, conference finals, and Stanley Cup Finals) and Toronto (Eastern Conference early rounds). The league also renewed its CBA for four additional seasons, which includes an increase to minimum player salaries and a 10% deference of player salaries for the 2020–21 season (to be paid out over three seasons beginning 2022–23).

The 2020–21 season began on January 13, 2021, over three months after the previous season had concluded. The league unveiled a 56-game regular season, and that the teams would temporarily be realigned into four regional divisions. Due to limitations on travel into and out of Canada, the seven Canadian teams were aligned into a single North division. The seven teams in the North Division played each other nine or ten times during the regular season. The 24 other teams from the United States were realigned into the Central, East and West divisions.

In both pandemic-shortened seasons, the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup, defeating the Dallas Stars in 2020 and the Montreal Canadiens in 2021, respectively.

The NHL returned to a full 82-game season in 2021–22, coinciding with the addition of the Seattle Kraken and the return to the previous divisional alignment. By late November, however, despite the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, most teams again endured COVID-19 outbreaks, resulting in many postponed games. In the case of Canadian teams, some postponed games came as a result of attendance restrictions from local governments due to localized outbreaks. The entire season calendar, which originally scheduled an Olympic break in February after the All-Star Game so that players can participate in the 2022 Winter Olympics, was reworked to make up the games lost due to COVID-19 outbreaks. Thus, NHL players were again barred from competing in the Olympics. On June 26, the Colorado Avalanche won their third Cup in 2022, defeating the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.

Timeline

See also

• History of the National Hockey League
• History of the National Hockey League (1917–1942)
• History of the National Hockey League (1942–1967)
• History of the National Hockey League (1967–1992)
• History of the National Hockey League (1992–present)

References

• McCown, Bob (2007), McCown's Law: The 100 Greatest Hockey Arguments, Doubleday Canada, ISBN 978-0-385-66465-3
• McKinley, Michael (2006), Hockey: A People's History, McClelland & Stewart, ISBN 0-7710-5769-5
• Pincus, Arthur (2006), The Official Illustrated NHL History, Reader's Digest, ISBN 0-88850-800-X

Footnotes

1. "NHL will not participate in 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games". Sportsnet.ca. Rogers Media. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
2. "Iced out: The lowdown on NHL's Olympic boycott". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
3. "NHL players to return to Olympics in 2026 and 2030". CNN.com. February 2, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
4. "NHL adds Seattle franchise". Retrieved December 5, 2018.
5. "NHL pauses regular season because of coronavirus". NHL.com. March 12, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
6. ^ Gaydos, Ryan (March 12, 2020). "NHL suspends 2019-20 season over coronavirus outbreak". Fox News. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
7. "Senators player tests positive for COVID-19". NHL.com. March 17, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
8. "Ottawa Senators player is first NHLer to test positive for COVID-19". Sportsnet.ca. March 17, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
9. "A second Sens player tests positive for COVID-19". NHL.com. March 21, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
10. Kaplan, Emily (March 21, 2020). "Second Senators player tests positive for coronavirus". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
11. Elliott, Helene (March 28, 2020). "A second Colorado Avalanche player tests positive for COVID-19". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
12. Bell, Jarrett; Jeff, Zillgitt (April 4, 2020). "Donald Trump to sports commissioners: He's hopeful NFL starts on time". USA Today. McLean, Virginia. Gannett. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
13. Newton, Paul (May 19, 2020). "US-Canada border will remain closed to nonessential travel for at least another month". CNN.com. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
14. "NHLPA authorizes further negotiations on 24-team return to play format". Sportsnet. Toronto. May 22, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
15. Seravalli, Frank (May 22, 2020). "NHLPA agrees to more talks on League's 24-team Return to Play proposal". TSN.ca. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
16. Zargham, Mohammad (May 22, 2020). "U.S. to exempt foreign athletes from coronavirus-related entry bans". The Globe and Mail. Reuters. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
17. "U.S. opens border to foreign pro athletes". TSN.ca. May 23, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
18. ^ Wyshynski, Greg (May 26, 2020). "NHL adopts 24-team playoff if season returns". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
19. Regan, J.J. (June 4, 2020). "NHL, NHLPA resolve two key Stanley Cup playoff issues". NBC Sports Washington. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
20. ^ Kaplan, Emily (July 1, 2020). "NHL eyeing Toronto, Edmonton as hub cities for season restart". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
21. Johnston, Patrick (June 10, 2020). "Horgan gives 'OK' to NHL teams coming to Vancouver for group quarantine". The Province. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
22. Bell, Jason (June 20, 2020). "'Cohort quarantine' gives NHLers a COVID-19 pass". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
23. "NHL to allow teams to reopen training facilities on June 8 - Sportsnet.ca". Sportsnet. Rogers Sports & Media. June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
24. Kaplan, Emily (June 19, 2020). "Lightning close facility due to coronavirus outbreak". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
25. "NHL exploring Edmonton, Toronto as Canadian hubs after Vancouver 'snag'". Sportsnet. Rogers Sports & Media. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
26. Emerson, Justin (July 1, 2020). "Rising coronavirus cases could preclude Las Vegas from hosting NHL postseason - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper". lasvegassun.com. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
27. Johnston, Chris (July 10, 2020). "NHL is back in business with ratification of CBA, return-to-play plan". Sportsnet. Rogers Sports & Media. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
28. Gulitti, Tom (July 10, 2020). "NHL, NHLPA ratify CBA extension through 2025-26 season". NHL.com. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
29. "NHL teams in new divisions for 2020-21 season". NHL.com. December 20, 2020. Archived from the original on December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
30. "Shortened 2021 NHL season may feature all-Canadian Division, says Vegas owner Bill Foley". Edmonton Journal. October 16, 2020. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
31. "NHL, NHLPA formally approve 56-game season". December 20, 2020. Archived from the original on December 20, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
32. "NHL postpones Red-Wings-Islanders game, nine others". NHL.com. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
33. "NHL postpones three more games, bringing total to 98". NHL.com. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
34. "NHL postpones nine more games, bringing total to 90". NHL.com. December 31, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
35. "NHL announces extensive updates to 2021-22 regular-season schedule". NHL.com. Retrieved January 19, 2022.

External links

• NHL.com—History
• Hockey: A People's History by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation