NHL, NHLPA approve return-to-play plan, CBA extension

It's official now -- hockey is back.

The NHL Board of Governors and NHL Players Association announced Friday that both the league and its players have ratified the proposed return to play plan and an extension of the collective bargaining agreement, paving the way for a summer battle for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Blue Jackets and the rest of the NHL will be able to open training camps Monday, with Columbus -- seeded ninth in the Eastern Conference -- preparing for a five-game Stanley Cup Playoffs qualifying series against the eighth-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto that will begin Aug. 2.

READ MORE: FAQ about the return to play protocols | CBJ questions to answer during training camp

Columbus last played a game the night of March 8 in Vancouver, a 2-1 victory over the Canucks that gave the Blue Jackets two big points in the battle for a playoff spot. The NHL has been paused because of the coronavirus pandemic since March 12, a day in which the Blue Jackets had been expected to face rival Pittsburgh at Nationwide Arena.

In late May, the NHL announced plans for a 24-team restart with an eye on awarding the Stanley Cup that will feature 12 teams from each conference meeting in a playoff format. Players returned to the ice in early June for voluntary workouts and will start the full-team portion of preparations next week, with testing and other precautions in place to try to prevent the spread of the virus.

In Phase 2, 33 players reported back to Columbus for on- and off-ice workouts at Nationwide Arena and the OhioHealth Ice Haus, including forwards Cam Atkinson, Emil Bemstrom, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Nick Foligno, Liam Foudy, Nathan Gerbe, Boone Jenner, Ryan MacInnis, Stefan Matteau, Riley Nash, Gus Nyquist, Eric Robinson, Kole Sherwood, Devin Shore, Kevin Stenlund, Alexandre Texier and Alex Wennberg.

They are joined by defensemen Gabriel Carlsson, Adam Clendening, Vladislav Gavrikov, Scott Harrington, Seth Jones, Dean Kukan, Ryan Murray, Markus Nutivaara, Andrew Peeke, David Savard and Zach Werenski as well as goaltenders Matiss Kivlenieks, Joonas Korpisalo, Elvis Merzlikins and Veini Vehvilainen. Any player who wishes to opt out of the return to play must do so by 5 p.m. Monday, but as of right now, those 33 players comprise the Jackets' camp roster.

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The league announced Friday after Game 1 of the CBJ/Leafs series takes place Aug. 2, the following games will take place Aug. 4 (Game 2), Aug. 6 (Game 3), Aug. 7 (Game 4 if necessary) and Aug. 9 (Game 5 if necessary). Game times for the Eastern Conference games in Toronto are set each day at noon, 4 p.m. ET and 8 p.m. ET. Fans will not be able to attend games, with broadcast information to be released in the coming days.

The loser of the series will then be eligible to earn the No. 1 overall pick in the NHL draft, with the lottery for that being held Aug. 10. The draft tentatively has been scheduled for Oct. 9-10.

The collective bargaining agreement, which had been scheduled to expire after the 2021-22 season, will now run through 2025-26 after the four-year extension has been approved. It includes a flat salary cap next season as well as opens the door for NHL players to return to the Olympic Games in 2022 and 2026.

"Today, the NHL and the NHLPA announced a significant agreement that addresses the uncertainty everyone is dealing with, the framework for the completion of the 2019-20 season and the foundation for the continued long-term growth of our League," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "I thank NHLPA Executive Director Don Fehr and Special Assistant to the Executive Director Mathieu Schneider, the more than 700 NHL Players -- particularly those who worked on our Return to Play Committee -- and the NHL's Board of Governors for coming together under extraordinary circumstances for the good of our game. While we have all worked very hard to try to address the risks of COVID-19, we know that health and safety are and will continue to be our priorities. We know that all of our fans are excited about our return to the ice next month and that has been our goal since we paused our season on March 12."

"This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time. This would not have happened but for the enormous contributions that the players made throughout, particularly those who served on the Negotiating and Return to Play Committees, as well as those on the Executive Board," said Don Fehr, NHLPA Executive Director. "I also thank Gary Bettman, Bill Daly and the NHL staff for their efforts towards finding solutions to the problems we face. Most importantly, we are pleased to be able to bring NHL hockey back to the fans. We look forward to the NHL's continued growth here in North America and on the world stage."