NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly weighs in on talks of starting regular season in September 

In a recent interview with NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly spoke about talks to start the regular season earlier. The idea of beginning the season in September has come up often. This is because the schedule is tight and the Stanley Cup Final ends close to the NHL Draft.

Daly said the league knows there are problems with the current tight schedule. He said they are trying to fit in many things that help grow the sport.

“We do recognize the hardships that come along with tight schedules,” Daly said. “There are a lot of things and initiatives that we’re packing in.”

When asked if a September start could happen soon, Daly said:

“Do I foresee in the relatively near future a season that starts in September? No."

But he added that the idea has been looked at before and is still being discussed:

"Having said that, and you and I have talked about this before, we certainly have looked at the possibility of moving the start of the regular season earlier and trying to accommodate everything that we need to do over the course of a season and a two-month playoff period."

The league is always reviewing its calendar. Daly said:

“It’s an ongoing issue that’s kind of monitored and is debated. We make decisions because we think they’re the best decisions in the interest of the sport.”

NHL regular season overview: Preseason, regular season and playoffs

The NHL season has three parts: preseason, regular season and playoffs. The preseason happens in late September. Teams play about six to eight practice games. These games help coaches test players and get ready for the season. Some preseason games happen in special places or in other countries.

The regular season runs from early October to early April. Each team plays 82 games, half at home and half away. Teams play more games against teams in their division and conference.

There are breaks during the season, like a week off in the middle, a Christmas break, and no games on Super Bowl night. Teams earn points for wins and overtime losses. These points decide which teams make the playoffs.

Sixteen teams go to the playoffs. The top three teams in each division and two wild cards from each conference qualify. The playoffs are best-of-seven series. Winners move on until two teams meet in the Stanley Cup Final. Ties in the standings are broken by rules like most wins and goal difference.