NHL Announces Return To Play Plan, Flames In Playoffs

Gary Bettman and NHL announced it's return to play plan today in a press conference that took place at 4:30 PM ET.

The regular season, according to the Commissioner, is over and 24 teams will make the playoffs when the season resumes. Based on points percentage, the top twelve teams in each conference will make the playoffs and play in two host cities. Those cities have yet to be identified. Here are the cities that are in contention to host the playoffs: Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Vancouver.

The Flames currently sit in 7th place in the Western Conference with a record of 36-27-7, good for 79 points. The Flames will end up as the 8th seed in the playoffs, playing the 9th seed Winnipeg Jets in a best of 5 or best of 7 series.

The Flames will be playing in a "qualifying round" to see who makes it to the next round. Here's a look at what the qualifying round looks like in the Western Conference:

• 5) Edmonton vs. 12) Chicago

• 6) Nashville vs. 11) Arizona

• 7) Vancouver vs. 10) Minnesota

• 8) Calgary vs. 9) Winnipeg

That leaves St. Louis, Vegas, Colorado and Dallas as the top four seeds out West.

There is not current start date for this playoff scenario to start.

by Mark Parkinson