NHL

Rangers, Islanders will go to Toronto for NHL restart

The NHL and NHL Players Association’s memorandum of understanding for a new collective bargaining agreement confirms Toronto and Edmonton were selected as hub cities for the return-to-play tournament, with Eastern teams, including the Rangers and Islanders, competing in Toronto and Western teams in Edmonton, according to TSN.

The conference finals and Stanley Cup finals, per the report, will be in Edmonton — but is subject to change.

TSN also reports that the league is aiming to have teams travel to their respective hub cities on July 24, with exhibition games beginning the next day. The qualifying round is tentatively scheduled for July 30 and the first round for Aug. 9.

The second round is supposed to begin on Aug. 23, with the conference finals starting Sept. 6 and Stanley Cup finals on Sept. 20, per TSN. The report also said the league decreed that Oct. 2 is the last possible date for the finals.

In addition, TSN reports the CBA memo says NHL players will be permitted to return to the Winter Olympics in 2022 and 2026, pending an agreement with the International Ice Hockey Federation and the International Olympic Committee.

Gary Bettman
Gary BettmanGetty Images

When the coronavirus pandemic shut down the 2019-20 season in March and forced the league to put together the 24-team playoff tournament, there was a sudden uncertainty about the 2020-21 season. Considering the start of next season has yet to be determined, players will receive one paycheck in the fall, per TSN.

The report also says the beginning of free agency is set to begin after Oct. 9, or seven days after the Cup finals end. Barring any changes, the opening of training camps for the 2020-21 season is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 17, with the start of next season set for Dec. 1.

The CBA is reportedly a four-year extension, running through the 2025-26 season.

With Phase 3, the start of training camp, set to begin on July 13, two of the Rangers’ three goaltenders had participated in the NHL’s Phase 2 voluntary small-group workouts as of Wednesday, the team confirmed to The Post.

Veteran Henrik Lundqvist is the odd goalie out — he is among a handful of players who traveled from Europe to New York in the past week or so who are still waiting to be cleared. Alexandar Georgiev was included in the latest group of players to take part in Phase 2, in which rookie Igor Shesterkin has been participating since he returned from Florida at the end of June.

Additionally, Ryan Strome, Brett Howden and prospect Vitali Kravtsov also began skating at the team’s practice facility this week.