The National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association have agreed to open training camps on July 10 should it be deemed safe to do so. 

“The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) announced today that formal training camps (Phase 3) for the 24 teams resuming play will open on Friday, July 10, provided that medical and safety conditions allow and the parties have reached an overall agreement on resuming play. The length of training camp and, therefore, the start date for formal resumption of play (Phase 4) will be determined at a future date.”

In an announcement on Thursday, the league said that the length of training camp and therefore, the start date for the formal resumption of play, is still to be determined.

The league announced its Return to Play plan on May 26, featuring a 24-team restart later this summer in two hub cities that have yet to be determined. The NHLPA confirmed last month that July 10 was the earliest possible start date for training camp.

The league’s Phase 2 began earlier this week where teams had the ability to open practices facilities for voluntary workouts in groups of up to six players.

While the NHL has still not given a firm date as to when games could begin, a July 10 training camp could open the door for an early-to-mid-August resumption in play if safety allows. Of the 24 returning teams, 16 will participate in a postseason play-in round while the other eight — the top four from each conference — will play one another to determine seeding.

As for the hub cities, the league said on May 26 they were still in the process of evaluating pitches but were considering 10 cities, including Canadian locales Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver. TSN Senior Hockey Reporter Frank Seravalli reported that Las Vegas was considered one of the frontrunners. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has also been vocal about Edmonton’s candidacy and has lobbied the federal government to make an exception to a mandatory two-week quarantine for those crossing into Canada. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly has previously stated a cross-border hub city arrangement would be difficult for the league should a two-week quarantine be required for NHL players and personnel.

The league paused its regular season on March 12, one day after the NBA suspended their season after Utah Jazz centre Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus and kick-started a domino effect that shutdown much of the sports world.