The NHL is gearing up for a Jan. 13 start to a 56-game season and will have a new, temporary look.
Because of restrictions on movement across the U.S.-Canada border, the NHL is setting up an all-Canada division and realigning the other divisions.
The top four in each division will make the playoffs. All regular-season games and the first two rounds of the playoffs will be played within the division.
Here’s how they’ll look:
North — Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets
East — Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals
Central — Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning
West — Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues and Vegas Golden Knights
Winners and losers of the realignment
Winners: Rivalries. The NHL kept most of them intact, particularly the three New York-area teams and Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington from the Metropolitan Division, and the Canadian rivalries of Toronto-Montreal and Edmonton-Calgary. Chicago and Detroit are back together for the first time since the Red Wings moved east in 2013. The Stars and Lightning, who played in an entertaining Stanley Cup Final, will face each other eight times, rather than the usual two.
