Commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday night the NHL is targeting a Jan. 1 start for next season. That declaration came after recent talks between the league and NHL Players’ Association. NHL teams are expected to get camps of at least two weeks, just as they did before the expanded playoffs over the summer. Free agency opens Friday, with the NHL looking to speed through the offseason while planning to play in 2021. “It’s kind of been refreshing to get back and have somewhat of a tentative date for when we’re going to be coming back,” Washington Capitals defenseman Brenden Dillon said.

NEW YORK – Pro football has probably never been more important to television executives than this year, and its return has them ready to do a happy dance in the end zone. CBS' five-game average for Sunday afternoon games was 13.59 million viewers, down 12 percent from 2019. With its two games, NBC dominated the prime time ratings, averaging 7.3 million viewers last week. Fox News Channel led the cable networks, averaging 3.23 million viewers in prime time. “Football Night in America,” NBC, 8.75 million.