NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman anticipates the league will play its standard 82-game schedule next season. However, a start date for the season — as the 2019-20 Stanley Cup Final began play Saturday — is yet to be determined.
Dec. 1 was initially targeted for the start, but with plenty of unknowns around COVID-19 still up in the air, Bettman said it could start later in December or even January. “Our goal is to get back to as great a sense of normalcy as possible under whatever circumstances are presented.”
Bettman acknowledges teams are bringing in less revenue but is confident “franchises will get through this and will come out stronger on the other side.” Fan attendance at games makes up approximately 50% of league-wide revenue, according to Bettman.
![[Subscription Customers Only] Jun 15, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Botafogo owner John Textor inside the stadium before the match during a group stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Lumen Field.](https://frontofficesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/USATSI_26465842_168416386_lowres-scaled.jpg?quality=100&w=1024)
