There are no plans to call this year's championship trophy the COVID Cup. But the NHL season will begin on January 13, according to a deal reached between the league and the NHL Players' Association.

Each team will play 56 games with league action concluding on May 8.

That will be followed by a 16-team Stanley Cup playoffs in best-of-seven rounds. It means that the winner will emerge by around mid-July, enabling hockey season to resume at its regular spot on the calendar for 2021-22.

Training camps will begin on January 3.

"While we are well aware of the challenges ahead, as was the case last spring and summer, we are continuing to prioritize the health and safety of our participants and the communities in which we live and play," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a news release. "And, as was the case last spring and summer, I thank the NHLPA, particularly executive director Don Fehr, for working cooperatively with us to get our League back on the ice."

The league hopes that all games can be played in teams' home arenas, though they will be devoid of fans at the start of the season.