Blackhawks-Oilers schedule set as NHL, NHLPA ratify CBA, Return to Play plan

The Blackhawks and Oilers’ series is officially on.

The best-of-five qualifying round series will begin in Edmonton with Game 1 on Saturday, Aug. 1, and conclude by the following Saturday, Aug. 8, when the if-necessary Game 5 would take place.

The Hawks’ series schedule came Friday as the NHL and its players association ratified via vote the Return to Play plan and Collective Bargaining Agreement extension that were settled upon earlier in the week.

With Friday’s announcement arrived a number of finally specified dates. The first round (after the qualifying round) will begin Aug. 11; the second round will begin Aug. 25; the conference finals will begin Sept. 8; and the Stanley Cup Final will begin Sept. 22, with the Cup awarded by Oct. 4.

Meanwhile, the second draft lottery — to determine the inheritor of the placeholder-won No. 1 overall pick — will take place Aug. 10, right after the end of the qualifying round, and the draft itself will take place Oct. 9-10.

As was previously announced, the Hawks will begin training camp Monday at Fifth Third Arena in Chicago and travel to Edmonton — now officially the Western Conference’s hub city — on July 26.

The NHL plans to load up the playoff schedule with staggered start times in Toronto and Edmonton and play five or six games every day, if everything goes to plan and COVID-19 cases are (at least largely) kept out of the bubbles.

Hawks-Oilers is one of five series that will kick off the qualifying round on Aug. 1, along with Hurricanes-Rangers, Islanders-Panthers, Penguins-Canadiens and Flames-Jets. A round robin between each conference’s top four seeds will begin, intermixed in the qualifying round schedule, the next day.

The league also announced that individual statistics from the qualifying round games will count as playoff stats.

“This agreement is a meaningful step forward for the players and owners, and for our game, in a difficult and uncertain time,” NHLPA director Donald Fehr said in a statement. “Most importantly, we are pleased to be able to bring NHL hockey back to the fans.”

Blackhawks vs. Oilers schedule

Game 1: Saturday, Aug. 1

Game 2: Monday, Aug. 3

Game 3: Wednesday, Aug. 5

Game 4*: Friday, Aug. 7

Game 5*: Saturday, Aug. 8

*If necessary