With the recent confirmation that NHL hockey will indeed be back in January, the Flyers and other teams have been given a list of important dates throughout the season.
Philadelphia Flyers fans were more than happy when the National Hockey League confirmed earlier this week that the regular season is starting in January, months after rumors began to swirl around that the target date for the league to start was sometime in January.
Along with the regular season start date, there are also several important dates and events that have had to, obviously, be pushed back.
We break down the dates here.
January 3rd, 2021: The Flyers will begin and open their training camp. The training camp is reportedly scheduled to take place at the Flyers Skate Zone located in Voorhees, New Jersey. Strict COVID-19 protocols that are mandated by the league are to be put in place. Teams that did not make the 2020 postseason are allowed to open their training camps on December 31st.
January 13th, 2021: While no regular schedule has been finalized and sent out by the league, the Flyers are set to kick off the regular season with opening night on January 13th.
April 12th, 2021: In a normal year without the coronavirus, the NHL trade deadline would be in February. With the shortened season and late start, the trade deadline will be on April 12th this year. While not a drastic change, it is still an important date to note for both fans and front office personnel looking to move and acquire players.
May 8th, 2021: The day everyone will be sad if the Flyers don’t finish in good enough standing. The regular season is slated to end on May 8th, after just 56 games.
May 11th, 2021: The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on May 11th. The league plans to return to the original format – 16 teams, four rounds, and best of seven. Four teams from each division qualify for the playoffs. Glad the playoffs are returning to the original state, not a whole big fan of the structure the league had last season.
July 2021: The Philadelphia Flyers will be your 2021 NHL Stanley Cup Champions.
July 21st, 2021: NHL expansion draft is taking place on July 21st. This will definitely be an interesting one to watch.
July 23rd-24th, 2021: Free agency will begin to open on July 23rd and the 24th.
October 2021: 2021-2022 NHL season begins (hopefully a normal season, yay!)
It’s an exciting time to be a hockey fan as just a few months ago we were all curious and wondering if there would even be a season in 2021. Even better, most teams including the Flyers are to play their home games at their respective arena.