Training camp is just about 24 hours away.
It's getting real (again).
After the NHL and NHLPA ratified their Return To Play agreement on Friday, and with it, a four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement, the restarted season is only a few weeks away.
The Blue Jackets are slated to play a best-of-five qualifying round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, with Game 1 on Aug. 2 at Scotiabank Arena.
Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella told 97.1 FM's "Carpenter and Rothman" that while he's ready for camp to begin, he's not getting too far ahead.
"There's a lot of things that are still a work in progress, but I have one day ready: and that's Monday's practice," Tortorella said. "I'm not gonna schedule anything ahead of it; I think there's going to be a lot of conversations and changes as we go through."
Those changes, of course, are due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that forced the NHL to pause its season on Mar. 13. Tortorella said he's thankful for the NHL's detailed response to the pandemic and its return to play, which includes "secure zones" for teams and regular testing.
"I just see some of the lackluster thinking (in the world) as far as what's going on with this virus," Tortorella said. "I'm glad they're doing it this way. They want to keep everyone safe. I'm anxious to see how it works."
The next step is to get his team on the ice together for the first time in four months. Once camp starts, it's a sprint; the Blue Jackets will spend two weeks practicing in Columbus before traveling to Toronto for a week of practice and one exhibition game.
Their best-of-five series (which counts as an official playoff appearance, by the way) begins Aug. 2. It's all-or-nothing for Columbus, Tortorella said, and they plan to enjoy it.
"They're really excited about being together," Tortorella said of his players. "We're gonna have fun with this, we have to."
And by all accounts, the players have come prepared.
"Every coach I've talked to (from the small-group skates)...they've pushed the pace," Tortorella said. "We have such a good group. That's what draws me into it all and staying excited. It's such a good group of people; they're pushing, and I've gotten tremendous reports back."
