Reports: NHL players voting on return-to-play format

The executive board of the NHL Players Association began voting on the league’s proposed return-to-play format Thursday night, according to multiple reports. The vote is expected to be completed Friday.

While many details need to be ironed out — the date and location of the games, for example — the board is voting on a plan that would reportedly see the league skip the rest of the regular season and jump into a 24-team playoff.

In each conference, the top four teams would receive byes, while the fifth through 12th seeds would square off in best-of-five first-round series.

The format is not particularly kind to the Penguins. They would be the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, having fallen three points behind the fourth-seeded Philadelphia Flyers when play was halted March 12. They’d have to open the playoffs against Carey Price and the 12th-seeded Montreal Canadiens.

According to reports, the league will play all games in two hub cities. Earlier this week, commissioner Gary Bettman said eight or nine cities were under consideration.