The National Hockey League is now focusing on the all-Canadian division, with the hope and expectation the league will play in each of the seven cities, according to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger. Dreger added deputy commissioner Bill Daly is directly involved in discussions with the provinces.

The NHL and NHL Players’ Association reached a tentative agreement on Friday night to begin a 56-game regular season on Jan. 13 with teams hosting games in their own home arenas, wherever possible.

Training camps would open on Jan. 3, with no plan for exhibition games, and the seven non-playoff teams from last season permitted to start three days earlier on New Year’s Eve.

The agreement will need to be formally ratified by both the NHL’s Board of Governors and the NHLPA’s Executive Board.

The NHLPA’s Executive Board verbally supported moving forward with the agreed upon terms on Friday night, pending review of the details once papered. The NHL’s Board of Governors is expected to vote on Sunday or Monday.