The NHL Players Association has signed off on an expanded 24-team Stanley Cup Playoffs. Plus: NBA games could take place all day long if the season resumes this summer; ESPN will air a nine-part Tom Brady documentary; and more.
NHLPA approves expanded Stanley Cup Playoffs
The NHL Players Association on Friday approved the league’s plan to abandon the remainder of the 2019-20 regular season and expand the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs to 24 teams, assuming play eventually resumes later this summer. The players still have to approve other aspects of the league’s restart plan.
Under the expanded format, 12 teams per conference would qualify for this year’s playoffs, with the top four receiving a first round bye and seeds 5-12 competing in a best-of-five series. Following the initial round, the remainder of the playoffs would consist of the familiar 16 teams playing three rounds of best-of-sevens. [ESPN.com 5.22]
NBA games would run all day long if season resumes in one place
If the NBA concludes its regular season at a single location, games would begin around Noon ET and continue all day long, according to Yahoo! Sports reporter Keith Smith. As noted by several outlets, the league has not yet decided on whether it will stage games in one or two sites, or whether it will bring back all 30 teams for regular season games or skip to the playoffs.
Per Smith, the NBA playoffs would follow “a more regular schedule.” [Keith Smith/Twitter 5.22]
ESPN to air nine-part Brady doc next year
ESPN will televise a nine-part docuseries about former Patriots QB Tom Brady next year, it was announced Thursday. Titled “Man in the Arena,” the series will be organized around Brady’s nine Super Bowl seasons in New England. As with ESPN’s recently completed “The Last Dance,” the subject of the documentary will also be involved in its production; Brady’s company 199 Productions is co-producing. [Hollywood Reporter 5.21]
Plus: IndyCar, Vilma, Finebaum
IndyCar has canceled its races at Richmond and Toronto and added a second race at Road America. As a result of the changes, which include Road America moving from June 21 to July 11-12, there will be a nearly month-long gap between the season premiere at Texas (June 6) and the following race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 4). … Fox Sports is pursuing ESPN college football analyst Jonathan Vilma, according to the New York Post. … SEC Network’s simulcast of The Paul Finebaum Show will resume using an audiovisual format on Monday, with Finebaum on camera from a home studio. [IndyCar 5.21; NYP 5.20; ESPN PR 5.22]
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