Report: NHL willing to delay next season to finish 2019-20

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The NHL is willing to delay the start of the 2020-21 campaign until November in order to conclude this season, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reports.

The league believes it can play a full season next year by canceling the 2021 All-Star Game and the accompanying bye weeks and by extending the postseason into late June, LeBrun adds.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in March that the NHL wants to avoid scenarios that prevent a full 2020-21 season from being played.

The NHL reportedly asked teams in March for August arena availability. More recently, multiple cities, including Grand Forks, North Dakota; Manchester, New Hampshire; and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan have contacted the league about holding neutral-site playoff games.

The league also reportedly prefers to hold some regular-season contests before beginning the playoffs and would be willing to condense the postseason in some form if necessary.