NHL commissioner: 2020-21 season could start in December

Gary Bettman has remained consistent through the shutdown in saying that the NHL won't let any plans to restart the 2019-20 season jeopardize a full 2020-21 season.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the 2020-21 season has to start on time, though. On an appearance on the NHL Network on Thursday evening, Bettman said that the 2020-21 season could start as late as December.

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"We have a great deal of flexibility in terms of when we can start," Bettman said. "There's no magic for next season of starting in October as we traditionally do. If we have to start in November or December, that's something that will be under consideration. We're going to try to make good, prudent, careful judgments. This isn't a race to be first back. When we come back, we want it to be at the right time, for the right reasons, under the right circumstances."

If the NHL were to start the season that late, there are a number of different ways they could condense next season’s schedule. Bye weeks could be eliminated, the All-Star Game could be cancelled, and teams could play more back-to-backs.

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