The NHL’s return to play will (likely) be a viewer’s dream

The NHL’s return to play plan was officially announced last night, with the Penguins and Montreal Canadiens set to clash on August 1.

The Penguins/Canadiens matchup won’t be the only series happening, of course. The NHL has outlined their entire schedule with a lot of hockey to be played between August 1 and 9.

NHL

From the Penguins:

Games have been scheduled on a staggered basis, providing hours of continuous action. The start times for the 10 days of Stanley Cup Qualifiers in Toronto (Eastern Conference games) will be: Noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET. In order to maximize the viewing experience for fans across North America, the start times for the three game windows in Edmonton (Western Conference games) - 2 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. ET and 10:30 p.m. ET - may fluctuate by up to 30 minutes during the qualifying round.

All of the broadcast information has not been unveiled yet, but having at least five games per day to start things off, after not having any hockey since March, surely has many fans chomping at the bit to watch a game of shooty-puck again.

And after the play-in winners are decided, you get a quick second to catch your breath, as the traditional “First Round” series is set to begin on August 11:

NHL

Assuming the league can pull this whole thing off (which would be a massive achievement in itself), hockey fans are in for one helluva ride as summer nears its end.