A year after the pandemic temporarily shut down the NHL, a handful of roadblocks remain to handing out the Stanley Cup again this season B次元官网网址� including the U.S.-Canada border.

The border remains closed to nonessential travel, an issue the NHL addressed before the 2021 season began in January by realigning its divisions. All seven teams in the North Division are based in Canada and they play against only each other through the first two rounds of the post-season.

But the league has a decision looming on what to do when a Canadian team faces a U.S. opponent in the third round of the playoffs. Talks are ongoing with Canadian government officials, though nothing needs to be settled yet since cross-border play wonB次元官网网址檛 happen until mid-June.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e got a little bit of time to deal with this,B次元官网网址� Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said during a video interview Thursday. B次元官网网址淚 canB次元官网网址檛 certainly promise any result, and weB次元官网网址檒l work through the process and weB次元官网网址檒l see what the result is and weB次元官网网址檒l respond appropriately. But in terms of timeline, I donB次元官网网址檛 think thereB次元官网网址檚 any kind of firm deadline that we have to meet to accomplish a change in plans if thatB次元官网网址檚 necessary.B次元官网网址�

One possibility includes the North Division champion that reaches the leagueB次元官网网址檚 final four playing its B次元官网网址渉omeB次元官网网址� games in a U.S. city. Or there could be some type of modified quarantine when teams cross the border.

Commissioner Gary Bettman said the NHL isnB次元官网网址檛 planning to hold the playoffs in any kind of a bubble like it did in Toronto and Edmonton last year but it could do something similar to that if necessary to accommodate Canadian regulations.

B次元官网网址淲e are going to try and maintain our flexibility and our agility,B次元官网网址� Bettman said, B次元官网网址渁nd we will be respectful of the process.B次元官网网址�

The league has also said it wonB次元官网网址檛 jump the line for vaccines, but some machinations are ongoing about what could happen once inoculations are available to the general public. D

B次元官网网址淟ike everything else, itB次元官网网址檚 kind of a work in progress, and I think itB次元官网网址檚 going to evolve in different stages based on the introduction of the vaccine,B次元官网网址� said Daly, who believes several players with pre-existing conditions have already been vaccinated. B次元官网网址淎t some point weB次元官网网址檒l get into a position, I would think and I would hope, where thereB次元官网网址檚 widespread vaccination. I think our response to that will be in stages, as well, as to what that means and how we evolve our protocols.B次元官网网址�

Those protocols have already changed this season, helping to cut the number of players on the COVID-19 protocol list from a season-high 59 on Feb. 12 to four on Wednesday. A total of 138 players have spent at least one day on the list. A total of 35 games have been postponed for virus-related reasons.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e navigated through the first two months of this season under extremely challenging conditions, and weB次元官网网址檝e been on this every day with the medical experts and enhancing our protocols, and itB次元官网网址檚 gotten us to a better place,B次元官网网址� Bettman said.

In matters more in the NHLB次元官网网址檚 control, Daly said the draft B次元官网网址渕ore likely than notB次元官网网址� will go on as scheduled July 23-24, despite concerns from some team executives about many prospects not playing this season.

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AP Hockey Writer John Wawrow contributed.

Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press

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