CBA

According to reports from TSN’s Darren Dreger and Pierre LeBrun, the NHL and NHLPA have agreed that the economic framework of the CBA agreed upon in June will not change. Now, both sides shift focus to planning out a season and everything that will go with it with a target start date of Jan. 13.

With the calendar turned to December, the Jan. 1 target date is no longer realistic to open the 2020-21 season. Instead, the NHL has proposed a mid-January start to the season, according to a report from TSN’s Frank Seravalli.

Now that it is December, where does the NHL stand in its potential return to play? Is Jan. 1 still a realistic target?

There was hope that there would be some concrete details about the upcoming NHL season, but negotiations on a return have hit a snag during the week. The players are reportedly “blindsided” by a request from the NHL owners to change the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.

The NHL has worked out a return-to-play plan, CBA extension and used very specific planning to get to the start of Phase 3. For them to complete the season, the next two weeks leading up to the travel to Phase 4 hub cities is critical.

The biggest uncertainty in completing the NHL season remains COVID-19, but after the NHL and NHLPA's most collaborative labor efforts in decades, it would be a just reward if they can award the Stanley Cup.

The NHL Board of Governors and the NHLPA voted in approval to ratify a Memorandum of Understanding to the Collective Bargaining Agreement and the Return to Play protocols.

Less than 24 hours after a tentative agreement was reached on return-to-play protocols for Phases 3 and 4, the NHL and NHLPA announced they have reached a tentative agreement on a Memorandum of Understanding that adds four more years to the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.

On Sunday night, TSN’s Bob McKenzie was first to report that a tentative agreement has been reached between the NHL and NHLPA on Phase 3 and Phase 4 protocols. However, there is not an agreement on a CBA extension just yet, which puts a full membership vote on hold for now.

According to a report from ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, the NHL and its players are closing in on a new CBA deal.