NHL will have 24-team playoff format if return to play is possible

The plan was approved by the NHL's board of governors, and comes days after the NHL Players Associations executive committee gave the plan the green light.

Bettman stressed that the plan's approval does not guarantee the resumption of games; the league and players must still determine safety protocols and solve other issues, including where to play.

Under the expanded format, the top four teams in each conference will play for seeding while the other 16 face off in a best-of-five series. The league has been shut down since March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In going ahead with the top 12 teams in each conference, the decision officially ends the seasons of the league's bottom seven teams. They are Anaheim, Buffalo, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Ottawa and San Jose.