The NHL and the NHL Player’s Association spoke of a preliminary agreement on Friday to stage a 56-game season that would begin on January 13.

According to various reports, the player’s association “negotiated an interim consent for a 56-game season that awaits the consent of both sides.”

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said both sides had reached an agreement that still needs to be approved by several executive committees. League governing bodies and the players’ association were scheduled to have a phone summit later Friday.

Permission is still required by the health authorities in the five Canadian provinces that have teams.

Training camps for last season’s seven non-playoff teams would start on December 31, and then the remaining 24 teams on January 3. Exhibition games aren’t expected to be approved leading up to the new season.

Although a full schedule is expected, it is not known if the teams would play in their home arenas or in some hub towns.

Canadian NHL team issue over health protocols with provinces still not resolved, per source. But hope is to resolve it by Monday.

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) December 19, 2020

Believe there was only one switch from the divisions I relayed a few weeks ago. Dallas for Minn. So here's how it would look, pending BOG approval (if Cdn teams can play in 🇨🇦):

Bos-Buf-NJ-NYI-NYR-Phi-Pgh-Was
Car-CBJ-Dal-Det-Chi-Fla-Nas-TB
Ana-Ari-Col-LA-Min-SJ-STL-VGK
🇨🇦 teams

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) December 19, 2020