Note: This is day 77 since the NHL hit the pause button on the 2019-20 season.

Note II:  The NHL outlined their Return to Play plan on Tuesday afternoon which would have the Jets playing the Flames in the opening round.

Jets links:

Winnipeg Sun: Pure madness to pure unknown: Looking back, ahead at the Winnipeg Jets seasonScott with a look at how the Jets got to this point, where they stand at this point, the qualifying round against the Flames and whether they’ve got a Cup shot

CBC:  Winnipeg Jets fans share mixture of excitement and trepidation on NHL’s tentative playoff planSome fans will certainly enjoy watching the games out on the dock at the lake.

The Athletic Winnipeg:  How the NHL’s 24-team format impacts Winnipeg.  (Paywall – 30 day free option).  Murat and Ken teamed up for this piece on how yesterday’s announcement will impact the Jets.

Winnipeg Sun:  ‘We need to learn to live with this virus, including with sports’: Manitoba’s top docScott is wearing two hats as the usual Jets reporter turned to COVID-19 as he was doing double duty with this report.

Winnipeg Sun:  Jets to take on Flames in possible NHL play-in seriesIt isn’t quite the playoffs but it is no longer the regular season.  Welcome to the play-in series.

NHL.com: Hellebuyck should win Vezina for play with Jets, Lowry saysHard to argue with that headline.

Photo Credit: Colby Spence

NHL news:

TSN:  NHL planning 24-team return in 2 hub cities; new draft lottery format. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced Tuesday the league is planning a 24-team Return to Play format but could not give specific dates. Bettman added that he does not believe training camps will open before the first half of July, meaning that if it lasts three weeks the season would likely not resume until August.

TSN:  Bettman reveals the NHL’s 24-team Return to Play plan and how Draft lottery will work. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman reveals the NHL’s Return to Play plan that will feature 24-teams, with the other seven entering the Draft lottery. There will be two hub cities with one hosting the East teams and the other hosting the West, he also detailed the different phases that they’ll use to get players back on the ice.

Sportsnet:  The biggest takeaways from the NHL’s Return to Play PlanElliotte Friedman joins Tim and Sid to discuss some of the biggest takeaways from the NHL’s Return to Play Plan.

David Minuk

Working hard on a daily basis to provide the latest Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose news for our readers and listeners. I also appear on the Illegal Curve Hockey Show every Saturday on our YouTube channel as well as the Illegal Curve Post-Game Show after every single Jets game. And I occasionally jump in the play-by-play booth at Canada Life to provide colour analysis during Manitoba Moose games.

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