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NHL targeting Oct. 12 start date for 2021-22 season

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Liam McHugh, Patrick Sharp and Anson Carter discuss Pro Hockey Talk's list of most impactful additions of the 2020-21 NHL season.

General managers met virtually Wednesday to discuss a variety of topics pertaining to this season and the 2021-22 NHL season.

First, the league is targeting an Oct. 12 start date for next season, Darren Dreger reported during Wednesday Night Hockey. Training camps would begin Sept. 22, with both dates needing approval from the NHLPA before becoming a part of the league’s critical date calendar. (Things could also change depending how COVID-19 rates go and the efficiency of the vaccine rollout.)

The 2020-21 NHL season will end in mid-July, so it’s understandable next season would be delayed a bit. The Seattle Kraken have waited this long. What’s another week?

[Your 2020-21 NHL on NBC TV schedule]

Aside from next season’s start date, there was also some discussion about the 2022 Olympics. While the NHL and NHLPA came to an agreement in the Collective Bargaining Agreement that the league would pursue player participation for the Beijing Games next February, a deal still needs to be worked out with the International Olympic Committee and the International Ice Hockey Federation.

According to Dreger, the NHL would probably like to know which way the IOC/IIHF are going by the end of May. In order for the league to begin mocking up a schedule for next season it needs to know if a February Olympic break will have to be worked into the 82-game campaign.

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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.