The NHL and NHLPA have tentatively agreed to play a 56-game schedule this upcoming season, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports.

The potential deal remains contingent on a vote from each side. The league plans to hold a board of governor's meeting at some point this weekend, while the NHLPA executive board will hold a call Friday night, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

Besides the recently pandemic-shortened season, the last time the league played a campaign fewer than 82 games was the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season when a 48-game slate was used.

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Chicago Blackhawks forward Kirby Dach will serve as Canada's captain for the 2021 world juniors, the team announced Friday.

Forward Dylan Cozens and defenseman Bowen Byram - both returnees from last year's gold medal-winning squad - were named alternates.

"These three players are all leaders in their own right who have the respect of their teammates," head coach Andre Tourigny said. "Kirby has set a standard for himself through his commitment and determination, which is a great example for the others on our team. He has a strong desire to represent his country.

"Bowen and Dylan are veterans who know what it takes to win at this tournament, and their voices will be important in our leadership group."

The Blackhawks selected Dach third overall in 2019 and loaned him to Canada with the status of the 2020-21 NHL campaign unclear. The 19-year-old posted 23 points in 64 games with Chicago as a rookie last season.

The Colorado Avalanche drafted Byram fourth overall in 2019, while the Buffalo Sabres selected Cozens at No. 7. Neither Byram nor Cozens has cracked the NHL yet, but both players are blue-chip prospects and are expected to play significant roles for Canada in Edmonton.

Canada begins its gold-medal defense on Dec. 26 versus Germany.

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After Henrik Lundqvist shared the sad news Thursday that he will miss the 2020-21 season due to a heart condition, the Washington Capitals suddenly find themselves without a viable second goaltender with the campaign possibly weeks away.

It's unclear how exactly the Capitals would have divvied up goaltending duties, but the 38-year-old was set to be a part of a tandem with youngster Ilya Samsonov. Now the team must decide how to replace a Hall of Fame-worthy netminder.

Let's take a look at the options.

Sign a free agent

When the Capitals initially signed Lundqvist, general manager Brian MacLellan had high expectations. He wasn't just bringing in Lundqvist because of his experience or to mentor Samsonov; he was banking on him to win some games and compete for starts. While most marquee free-agent goaltenders have already signed with new teams - including ex-Capital Braden Holtby - there are still several veteran options for Washington to consider as it looks to replace Lundqvist.

Ryan Miller

Miller is the league's oldest active goaltender after turning 40 this past summer. He's certainly not the goalie he once was, but he's proven over the past three seasons with the Anaheim Ducks that he can be an adequate backup.

The former Vezina Trophy winner has appeared in 71 games over the last three campaigns, recording a 29-19-12 record with a .916 save percentage and a 2.72 goals-against average. His .931 even-strength save percentage over that span is tops among all goalies who have played at least 3,000 minutes. He's undeniably able to play at a high level when called upon, but the issue seems to be whether he wants to continue playing. The veteran said in May that while he still has a desire to play hockey, the COVID-19 pandemic could force him into retirement.

Craig Anderson

After manning the Ottawa Senators' crease for the last decade, Anderson saw his time in Canada's capital come to an end when the team brought in Matt Murray. The 39-year-old's play declined significantly over the past few seasons, but the fact he was playing behind a Senators team in the midst of a full-scale rebuild can't be ignored.

Anderson has played in 142 games since the start of the 2017-18 season, earning a 51-69-12 record with a .901 save percentage and a 3.37 goals-against average. His .913 save percentage at even strength last season wasn't dazzling, but it was better than those of other notable netminders such as Holtby, Jonathan Quick, John Gibson, and Sergei Bobrovsky.

Jimmy Howard

Despite enduring the worst season of his NHL career in 2019-20, Howard has made it clear on numerous occasions that he doesn't intend to retire just yet. The 36-year-old began his career with the Detroit Red Wings in 2005, but his time with the club came to an end when it added Thomas Greiss in free agency.

Howard's 2019-20 stats are tough to look at. His abysmal 2-23-2 record surely won't help him pitch himself to a new team, nor will his .882 save percentage or 4.20 goals-against average. Still, the veteran goalie wasn't showing many signs of regression before last season, and he could be a strong bounce-back candidate if he's no longer playing behind one of the worst rosters the NHL has seen in some time.

Promote from within

The Capitals don't have a ton of goaltending depth now that Samsonov is the team's starter, but it's entirely possible they stick with what they have instead of dipping into free agency again. Pheonix Copley has been with the organization for the past four years, and while the 28-year-old has mostly filled an AHL role, he does have 29 games of NHL experience.

Washington's top goalie prospect is now Vitek Vanecek, a 2014 second-round selection. The 24-year-old has spent the last four seasons in the AHL, previously splitting games with Samsonov before sharing the net with Copley. He appeared to outplay Copley last season, posting a .917 save percentage to Copley's .905. He's never played in an NHL game, but perhaps he could make the jump a bit earlier than expected.

Seek out a trade

The Capitals have virtually no cap space ahead of the coming season, so a trade would be difficult to pull off. There are some high-profile goalies on the market, such as Marc-Andre Fleury of the Vegas Golden Knights, but taking on all or even some of his $7-million cap hit after letting Holtby walk wouldn't make much sense.

It would be shocking if Washington traded for a goaltender. There are viable options in free agency and within the organization, and the team would probably have to part ways with a significant roster player to make room. Still, it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

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Eight players from Germany's world junior squad tested positive for COVID-19 after they arrived at the tournament bubble in Edmonton, the IIHF announced Friday.

Two members of Sweden's staff have also tested positive.

The Germans must now quarantine until Dec. 24 in accordance with Alberta's provincial health regulations, while the Swedes must do the same until Dec. 21.

The IIHF will review the pre-competition schedule with the teams' new quarantine dates in mind and release a new schedule in the coming days.

Exhibition games are set to begin on Dec. 20 before the preliminary round kicks off on Dec. 25. Germany was set to face Austria in an exhibition contest on Dec. 21, while Sweden was scheduled to face Canada on the same day.

Germany is currently slated to face Finland in round-robin action on Christmas Day before a matchup with Canada on Dec. 26.

Over 2,000 tests have been administered to players, staff, and game officials since all 10 teams entered the bubble last week. Players and staff will undergo daily COVID-19 testing as the tournament progresses.

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The Calgary Flames have signed restricted free-agent defenseman Oliver Kylington to a one-year, two-way contract worth $787,500, the team announced Friday.

Kylington's entry-level contract expired at the end of the 2019-20 campaign. The 23-year-old appeared in a career-high 48 games with the Flames last season, notching two goals and five assists while averaging 13:42 of ice time per contest.

Selected by the Flames in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft, Kylington was Calgary's last unsigned RFA.

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In the lead-up to the 2021 World Junior Championship, we're taking a look back at each of the 18 Canadian teams to capture the gold medal, culminating Dec. 25 with the start of the latest edition of the tournament.

Canada iced its best-ever world junior roster at the 2005 tournament, which took place in Grand Forks, North Dakota, in the midst of an NHL lockout.

The Canadian program was coming off a crushing loss to the United States in the gold-medal game in Finland one year prior. In that matchup, the Americans wiped out a two-goal deficit with three third-period tallies en route to a 4-3 win.

It had been a long time since Canada tasted victory at the tournament, as the team hadn't won gold since 1997, settling for four silvers and two bronzes in the seven years following that triumph.

With the 2005 tourney taking place on U.S. soil, Canada was under even more pressure to prevent the hosts from repeating as champions. However, with a whopping 12 returning players thanks in large part to the NHL work stoppage, the Canadians were perfectly positioned to steamroll the field and reclaim the crown.

The roster

*Denotes returning player
All ages are as of the start of the tournament

The tournament

Team Canada didn't mess around in the round-robin stage, dominating all four opponents by a combined margin of 32-5. The four-goal differential in the squad's tournament-opening 7-3 win over Slovakia was the smallest of those four contests, as the Canadians then walloped Sweden 8-1, demolished Germany 9-1, and thumped Finland 8-1.

After earning a bye through the quarterfinals, Canada defeated the Czech Republic 3-1 in the semifinals and coasted to a 6-1 win over Russia in the gold-medal game.

The stars

Bergeron earned tournament MVP honors after leading all skaters with 13 points in six games, while Carter tied Alex Ovechkin and the Czech Republic's Rostislav Olesz with a tourney-best seven goals.

Crosby's youth didn't deter him from producing against older players as he netted six goals, and Getzlaf collected three tallies and nine assists of his own.

Bergeron, Carter, and Phaneuf were named to the event's All-Star team.

Perry and Ladd both registered seven points in six games, while Phaneuf and Dawes each posted a point per contest. MacArthur buried four goals.

The key moment

Considering how utterly dominant Canada was in this tournament, there was no one play that truly tipped the scales. However, Bergeron's goal in the gold-medal game, which gave his team a 4-1 lead, was the dagger and also perfectly illustrated how the squad was far too skilled for its opponents.

With Team Canada on the power play, Phaneuf created a turnover in his defensive zone by bulldozing a pair of Russian attackers in one fell swoop. Perry then flipped it up to Crosby, who flew into the offensive zone and unleashed a blistering slap shot from the left circle.

Russian goaltender Andrei Kuznetsov made the save but gave up a juicy rebound in front and soon found himself out of position. Perry quickly pounced on the loose puck and shoveled it to Bergeron, who deposited it into a wide-open net.

The fallout

Crosby returned to the QMJHL's Rimouski Oceanic after the tournament and finished the 2004-05 season with 168 points in 62 games. He earned league MVP honors for the second straight campaign and helped the Oceanic reach the Memorial Cup final. The Pittsburgh Penguins selected him first overall at the NHL draft that June, and the rest is history.

Bergeron had already played his rookie season with the Boston Bruins before this world junior tournament. Due to the lockout, the gifted center suited up for Providence, the Bruins' AHL affiliate, before and after the tourney in 2004-05. He fully arrived as an NHL star the following campaign.

Getzlaf and Perry - both of whom were selected by the then-Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the first round of the 2003 draft - played their rookie seasons with the franchise in 2005-06. They helped transform the team into conference finalists and then Stanley Cup champions in 2007.

Several other players on this Canadian squad ultimately achieved NHL success and stardom, including Carter and Richards. Ladd and Seabrook won the Cup together with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, and Seabrook was a key part of three titles. Weber was held off the score sheet entirely in six games at this tourney, but he made his Nashville Predators debut the following season and quickly became one of the best defensemen in the NHL.

Barker was the only player on Canada's 2005 world junior team to return for 2006, but he was joined by a new crop of talent that included the likes of Jonathan Toews and Kris Letang. The 2006 squad didn't boast as many future NHL game-breakers as the previous year's edition, but it would prove to be nearly as dominant as its predecessor.

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