PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 07: Carter Hart #79 of the Philadelphia Flyers walks towards the ice rink with teammates for warm-ups against the Buffalo Sabres on March 7, 2020 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles The NHL announced Tuesday it will abandon the rest of the regular season and go straight into the playoffs with 24 teams instead of 16 if it is able to resume play.
Commissioner Gary Bettman said the decision is not a guarantee that games are coming back. The NHL and the NHL Players' Association must still figure out health and safety protocols and solve other issues, including where to play.