The NHL has set a tentative start date of Dec. 1 for the 2020-21 season, but how the league will operate remains unknown amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking to NHL.com on Monday, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said playing in hub cities could once again be an option for the league.

"I don't want to rule out anything because I think there are so many alternatives and possibilities and ways this might play out," Daly said. "I can't tell you we've thought necessarily about a divisional bubble. I don't think our current format for bubbles would work for the regular season, particularly because our objective is to play a full season and I'm not sure how we do that in the format we're currently utilizing. It's already a significant amount of time just to complete our playoffs in that type of bubble format. 

"I don't think it's going to look like what we're currently doing, but could it be a variation of what we're currently doing. I wouldn't rule that out any more than I would rule out any number of other alternatives."

The NHL has not yet had a player or staff member test positive for COVID-19 since the 24 teams arrived in the hub cities of Edmonton and Toronto last month.

Daly reiterated Tuesday that the league is flexible on moving back the start date for next season in order to allow the return of fans, if possible. He added the league is not yet considering allowing fans at a partial capacity.

"I wouldn't say it's being actually discussed, but I think it's being recognized that it's certainly a possibility," Daly said of allowing a percentage of fans in arenas. "We would love to be in a position where we could open on Dec. 1 to full buildings in every one of our markets. That may or may not be possible and we don't control that, so you have to adjust to that reality.

"That adjustment could take a variety of forms. It could be pushing back the start of the season until that might be possible, or it might be opening to partial buildings in either all the markets or a portion of the markets. We recognize there's not a lot of certainty with respect to what this looks like yet, and there may not be for some period of time. We're going to have to remain flexible and we're going to have to make the best decisions we can at the time we have to make them."

The NHL remains on schedule to award the Stanley Cup in early October.