2020 Stanford Cardinal baseball team, Previous Season
Stanford finished second in the Pac-12 conference and got their own Regional beating Sacramento State twice and then would take two of three against Fresno State. Next, the Cardinal went to the Starkville Super Regional and lose in double elimination to Mississippi State.


2020 Stanford Cardinal baseball team, Previous Season, 2019 MLB Draft
The Cardinal had nine players drafted in the 2019 MLB draft.


2020 Stanford Cardinal baseball team, Previous Season, 2019 MLB Draft
Players in bold are signees drafted from high school that will attend Stanford.


2020 Stanford Cardinal baseball team, Rankings
^ Collegiate Baseball ranks 40 teams in their preseason poll, but only ranks 30 teams weekly during the season. † NCBWA ranks 35 teams in their preseason poll, but only ranks 30 teams weekly during the season. * New poll was not released for this week so for comparison purposes the previous week's ranking is inserted in this week's slot.


2020 Stanford Cardinal football team
The 2020 Stanford Cardinal football team represented Stanford University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cardinal were led by tenth-year head coach David Shaw. They played their home games at Stanford Stadium as members of the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference.


2020 Stanford Cardinal football team
On August 11, the Pac-12 Conference initially canceled all fall sports competitions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On September 24, the conference announced that a six-game conference-only season would begin on November 6, with the Pac-12 Championship Game to be played December 18. Teams not selected for the championship game would be seeded to play a seventh game.


2020 Stanford Cardinal football team
On December 13, with a record of 3–2 and one game left to play, the program announced that it would not participate in any bowl game. The Cardinal won their final game, finishing their season with a 4–2 record.


2020 Stanford Cardinal football team, Previous season
They finished the 2019 season 4–8, 3–6 in Pac-12 play, to finish last place in the North Division. This was Stanford's worst record since 2007 and the first time that they did not earn bowl eligibility since 2008.


2020 Stanford Cardinal football team, Pac-12 media day, Pac-12 media poll
In the Pac-12 preseason media poll, Stanford was voted to finish fourth in the Pac-12 North division.


2020 Stanford Cardinal football team, Schedule
Stanford had games scheduled against William & Mary (September 5), Notre Dame (October 10), and BYU (November 28), but canceled these games on July 10 due to the Pac-12 Conference's decision to play a conference-only schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


2020 Stanford Cardinal men's soccer team
The 2020 Stanford Cardinal men's soccer team represented Stanford University during the 2020 NCAA Division I men's soccer season. They were led by ninth year head coach Jeremy Gunn.


2020 Stanford Cardinal men's soccer team, Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic
On August 13, 2020, the Pac-12 Conference postponed all fall sports through the end of the calendar year.


2020 Stanford Cardinal men's soccer team, Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic
On November 4, 2020, the NCAA approved a plan for college soccer to be played in the spring.


2020 Stanford Cardinal men's soccer team, Roster
Source: Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2020 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2019–20 season and the culmination of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. This series was between the Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning and the Western Conference champion Dallas Stars. The Lightning won the best-of-seven series, four games to two, for their second championship in franchise history. The Lightning had home-ice advantage in the series with the better regular season record. The series began on September 19 and concluded on September 28.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire series was played behind closed doors at Rogers Place in Edmonton. The pandemic resulted in the league suspending the regular season on March 12, 2020, and then scheduling a special 24-team playoff format to be held in two neutral "hub cities" (Edmonton and Toronto) that began on August 1.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals
This was the first Stanley Cup Finals series since 1925 to be played entirely outside the Eastern Time Zone, the first since 1928 to be played entirely in one location, the first since 1989 to be played entirely in Canada, and the first since 2011 to have the Stanley Cup awarded in a Canadian arena. This was the first Stanley Cup Finals since 1950 to feature a neutral site game and the first Stanley Cup Finals to feature two teams from the American Sun Belt (Texas and Florida). As a result of the pandemic, it was the first Stanley Cup Finals to be played in the month of September. This was the first Stanley Cup Finals since 2002 in which the losing team did not win a home game.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals
The Dallas Stars set the record for most playoff games played by a team in a single postseason at 27 games.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals, Return to play
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic, and later that day, the National Basketball Association suspended all games after players tested positive for the disease. One day later, the NHL announced that the 2019–20 season had been paused indefinitely. On May 22, the league and the NHLPA agreed on a basic framework to stage a 24-team playoff tournament behind closed doors, conducted in two neutral "hub" cities to help protect teams from the virus. The details of the plan were announced publicly on May 26.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals, Return to play
The seeds would be based on each club's points percentage when the season paused on March 12, effectively scrapping the remainder of the regular season. In the opening round of the 24-team playoff format, the top four teams in each conference played each other in a separate Seeding Round-robin to determine the seeding in the First Round. The eight lower seeded teams in each conference played in the Qualifying Round, a best-of-five series to advance to the next round. The First Round through to the Finals remained as best-of-seven series.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals, Return to play
On July 10, along with the ratification of an extension to the collective bargaining agreement, the NHL and the NHLPA formally agreed to begin the playoffs on August 1 (concluding no later than early October), with games being hosted by Edmonton (Western Conference early rounds, Conference Finals, and Stanley Cup Finals) and Toronto (Eastern Conference early rounds). U.S. cities were also considered, but were passed over after several U.S. states experienced a spike in COVID-19 cases in late June.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals, Dallas Stars
This was the franchise's fifth appearance in the Finals. They won the Stanley Cup in 1999 before losing the Finals in 2000. They also made two appearances as the Minnesota North Stars in 1981 and 1991.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals, Dallas Stars
During the offseason, Dallas signed forwards Corey Perry and Joe Pavelski as well as defenceman Andrej Sekera in free agency. The team also re-signed defenceman Taylor Fedun and forward Jason Dickinson. The team made no trades during the regular season.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals, Dallas Stars
On December 10, 2019, head coach Jim Montgomery was dismissed due to "unprofessional conduct inconsistent with the core values and beliefs" of both the team and the league, and was replaced by Rick Bowness. Before joining the Stars organization, Bowness had served as associate coach with the Lightning from 2013 to 2018.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals, Dallas Stars
When the regular season was suspended on March 12, 2020, the Stars had a 37–24–8 record and a .594 points percentage to finish third in the Central Division and fourth in the Western Conference. After play resumed in the hubs, Dallas placed third in the Round Robin. The Stars then defeated the Calgary Flames in six games in the First Round, the Colorado Avalanche in seven games in the Second Round, and the Vegas Golden Knights in five games in the Western Conference Finals.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals, Tampa Bay Lightning
This was the Tampa Bay Lightning's third appearance in the Finals. They won the Stanley Cup in 2004 before losing the Finals in 2015.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals, Tampa Bay Lightning
During the offseason, Tampa Bay signed goaltender Curtis McElhinney, defencemen Luke Schenn, Luke Witkowski, and Kevin Shattenkirk, and forward Patrick Maroon during free agency. Tampa Bay also re-signed goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and forwards Cedric Paquette and Brayden Point. During the regular season, the Lightning traded for forwards Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow. They also signed Zach Bogosian whose contract had been terminated by the Buffalo Sabres during the season. During Phase 2 of the Return to Play plan, captain Steven Stamkos injured himself while skating, and subsequently missed the round robin and the first three rounds of the playoffs for the Lightning.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals, Tampa Bay Lightning
When the regular season was suspended on March 12, the Lightning had a 42–21–6 record and a .657 points percentage to finish second in both the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference. After play resumed in the hubs, Tampa Bay placed second in the Round Robin. The Lightning then defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets in the First Round, including winning game one of the series that became the fourth longest game in NHL history, and the Boston Bruins in the Second Round in five games respectively. The Lightning then eliminated the New York Islanders in the Eastern Conference Finals in six games.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game one
In the first period of game one, neither team produced many shots, yet each scored a goal. The first goal came from Stars defenceman Joel Hanley who took an open pass from Roope Hintz. Tampa Bay equalized the score on left winger Yanni Gourde's skate deflection. In the second period, both teams produced more shots, however, Dallas was up by two at the end of the period. Jamie Oleksiak fired a wrist shot which rebounded back to him which he then shot it over Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy to make it 2–1.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game one
The Stars' third goal started in their own end with Esa Lindell passing to Joel Kiviranta. Kiviranta then skated through centre, firing a shot that was blocked, but picked up the rebound to put it past Vasilevskiy for a 3–1 lead. In the third period, the Stars played more defensively, putting up only two shots compared to the Lightning who fired twenty-two shots at Anton Khudobin. The Stars held their ground for the remaining 20 minutes, and Jason Dickinson's empty-net goal sealed a 4–1 victory for Dallas.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game two
In game two, the Lightning struck three times in the first period. Twice on the power-play, Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov set up both goal-scorers. The first came from a tic-tac-toe pass to Brayden Point firing it past Stars goalie Anton Khudobin. The second goal was another set-up pass; this time Kucherov fed it through the middle where Ondrej Palat made it 2–0. The Lightning made it 3–0 when the Stars fumbled the puck in their own zone and Anthony Cirelli gave it to Kevin Shattenkirk, whose shot at the blue line deflected off of Esa Lindell and past Khudobin.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game two
In the second period, the Stars shot eighteen times at Andrei Vasilevskiy and caught a break on the power-play. During Palat's slashing penalty, John Klingberg's shot deflected off of fellow Stars forward Joe Pavelski to cut the score to 3–1. Later in the period, a hit on Stars player Blake Comeau caused a skirmish to erupt, with Dallas players Corey Perry and Klingberg against Cedric Paquette and Hedman respectively. All players received simultaneous roughing penalties. In the third period, the Stars made it 3–2 when Mattias Janmark's shot snuck past Vasilevskiy. The Lightning kept their offense going in the final 20 minutes, pouring twelve shots on Khudobin, holding off the Stars, and ending the game 3–2 to tie the series 1–1.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game three
In game three, Dallas put the heat on Andrei Vasilevskiy in the first period. However, among their sixteen shots, only one goal was successfully scored compared to the Lightning's two. Tampa Bay's first came from a misplay by Miro Heiskanen giving Nikita Kucherov a breakaway, sniping the puck past Anton Khudobin. Their second goal came from their captain Steven Stamkos returning from injury for his first game since being injured on February 25.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game three
After a rush by the Stars was stopped in the offensive zone, Victor Hedman passed the puck to Stamkos, who was racing on the right side, upon which he fired his shot over Khudobin's blocker to make it 2–0. The Stars' lone goal of the period came short-handed when a shot by Roope Hintz was stopped by Vasilevskiy. The rebound of that save went back to Hintz in the left corner who then passed to an open Jason Dickinson, whose shot got through Vasilevskiy to make it 2–1.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game three
The Lightning had a more dominant approach in the second period, putting off 21 shots and scoring three times. The first goal came following Alexander Radulov's hooking penalty which carried over from the first period. After a puck battle behind the net, Anthony Cirelli, who was falling down on the play, passed to Hedman who shot the puck under Khudobin's stick into the net. Tampa Bay's fourth goal arrived when the Stars began a line change and a 3-on-1 developed with Kucherov leading the rush and Brayden Point scoring the goal.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game three
The Lightning continued their offensive zone coverage towards the end of the period and in the final minute-and-a-half, Point fired a shot that rebounded to Ondrej Palat, who put it into the net for a 5–1 lead. Dallas then pulled Khudobin before the third period, replacing him with rookie Jake Oettinger.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game three
The Stars, showing some frustration, began roughing the Lightning on three occasions: the first with Mattias Janmark and Palat; then both Jamie Benn and Jan Rutta, who had a skirmish after the play, both earning misconducts as a result; and an errant cross-check at 18:05 by Joe Pavelski on Cedric Paquette, which caused a ruckus with both teams. Heiskanen's goal gave the Stars some life in the third period, but Tampa Bay's defense kept the Stars at bay, winning the game 5–2 and taking a 2–1 series lead.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game four
The Tampa Bay Lightning overcame a 2–0 deficit in game four. In the first period, John Klingberg gave the Stars their first goal of the game subsequently on their first shot. The Stars gained a 2–0 lead when Jamie Benn set up Joe Pavelski, whose wrist shot got under Andrei Vasilevskiy. Tampa Bay got on the board with 33 seconds remaining in the period. The play began when defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk, from behind the Lightning net, gave an outstretched pass to Ondrej Palat, who then passed across to the right boards to find a solitary Brayden Point.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game four
He maneuvered around Anton Khudobin, going to his backhand to score. Point then tied the game early in the second period, on the power-play. During the Stars' penalty, Alex Killorn made a pass to the front, but the puck deflected off of Andrej Sekera's skate into the air, which Point then batted it into the net. The Stars soon regained the lead when Tyler Seguin's pass around Vasilevskiy got picked up by Corey Perry who, although tied up by Cedric Paquette, allowed the puck to trickle in off his stick.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game four
The Lightning tied the game up again when Andrew Cogliano got caught for hooking and on the ensuing Tampa Bay power-play, Mikhail Sergachev set up Nikita Kucherov for a one-timer, but the puck deflected off of Esa Lindell to Yanni Gourde who shot it past Khudobin. In the third period, Killorn put the Lightning up 4–3 when he went out around the net and shot at the top corner behind Khudobin. Pavelski tied the game 4–4 after picking up the rebound of Seguin's shot and then launching the puck at Vasilevskiy which deflected off of Shattenkirk into the net.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game four
Into overtime, Benn pushed down Tyler Johnson; controversially, he was called for tripping. While on the ensuing power-play, Patrick Maroon won an offensive zone face-off, sending it back to Victor Hedman. Hedman then passed it to Shattenkirk, whose shot at a sharp angle went over Khudobin's right pad for the game-winning goal and a 3–1 series lead.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game five
Corey Perry opened the scoring in the first period of game five. Jamie Oleksiak passed to Tyler Seguin, who then dropped it for Perry to score the initial goal for Dallas. In the second period, the Lightning struck back when Nikita Kucherov passed to Ondrej Palat and he skated past the Dallas defencemen and goaltender Anton Khudobin with a backhand to tie the game 1–1. The Lightning kept putting the pressure on the Stars for the remainder of the second period, firing away 13 shots.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game five
In the third period, Mikhail Sergachev's blast from the point gave the Lightning a 2–1 lead. The Stars tied the game 2–2 when Miro Heiskanen's shot from the point rebounded to Joe Pavelski, who put it past Andrei Vasilevskiy to break the record held by Joe Mullen for most career playoff goals scored by a US-born player. The two teams remained tied after the fact heading into overtime. In the first overtime, Dallas put up two shots compared to Tampa Bay's seven, but no goals were scored and the game continued on to double overtime. At 9:23 of the second overtime, Perry picked up a rebound from Seguin's shot and slid the puck past Vasilevskiy to give the Stars the game 3–2, forcing a sixth game.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game six
In game six, the Lightning took a 1–0 lead in the first period. After John Klingberg was penalized for tripping, Brayden Point fired a wrist shot that flew past Anton Khudobin after following the rebound of his own initial shot. Tampa Bay gained a 2–0 lead in the second period when a Stars turnover to Patrick Maroon got to Cedric Paquette, who set up Blake Coleman for a one-timer.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game six
The Stars remained scoreless for the rest of the game, but they had a close chance in the second period when Joel Kiviranta's shot was stopped by Andrei Vasilevskiy with his skate. Although had a goal been scored, it would have been disallowed as Corey Perry was penalized for goaltender interference on the play. The Lightning held Dallas to just 8 shots in the first two periods combined. Vasilevskiy continued his shutout in the third period, stopping all 22 shots by Dallas, earning his first playoff shutout. With a 2–0 victory, the Tampa Bay Lightning won their second Stanley Cup. Lightning defenceman Victor Hedman was given the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Team rosters
Years indicated in boldface under the "Finals appearance" column signify that the player won the Stanley Cup in the given year.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup engraving
The Stanley Cup was presented to Lightning captain Steven Stamkos by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman following the Lightning's 2–0 win over the Stars in game six.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup engraving
The following Lightning players and staff qualified to have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup:


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup engraving, Engraving notes
Tampa Bay had 28 players on their extended official team roster during the 2020 playoffs. Of those, 27 automatically qualified to have their names engraved.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Television and radio
In Canada, the series was broadcast by Sportsnet and CBC Television in English, and TVA Sports in French. In the United States, the Finals were split between NBC (Games one, and four through six) and NBCSN (Games two and three). The NHL initially had plans to produce broadcasts for each game using a skeleton crew on-site, such as cameramen and producers, and then each media partners' commentators on both TV and radio were to call the games remotely. The league then allowed both Sportsnet and NBC commentators into the hubs.


2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Television and radio
As he had been doing throughout the playoffs, 74-year-old NBC lead play-by-play commentator Mike "Doc" Emrick called the Cup Finals off of monitors from his home studio in Metro Detroit, citing his advanced age as a potential risk for severe illness from COVID-19. These were the final games that Emrick called; he announced his retirement on October 19, 2020.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL). The playoffs began on August 1, 2020, and concluded on September 28, 2020, with the Tampa Bay Lightning winning their second Stanley Cup in franchise history, defeating the Dallas Stars four games to two in the Stanley Cup Finals. The playoffs were originally scheduled to begin in April, a few days after the 2019–20 regular season, and end in June. However, on March 12, the regular season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs
On May 26, commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed that the league was going to use a 24-team playoff format to finish the season, conducted in two or more host cities as "hubs" with players placed under strict health protocols, quarantined from the general public, and all games played behind closed doors with no fans admitted. On July 10, the league ratified an agreement for its protocols with the NHL Players Association (NHLPA).


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs
The Eastern Conference played its early-round games at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, while the early rounds for the Western Conference, as well as the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals, were played at Rogers Place in Edmonton. This was the first Stanley Cup playoffs to be contested entirely in Canada since 1925, as well as the first time that the Stanley Cup was awarded on Canadian soil since 2011.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs
The Boston Bruins made the playoffs as the Presidents' Trophy winners with the most points (i.e. best record) during the regular season. The Pittsburgh Penguins increased their postseason appearance streak to fourteen seasons, the longest active streak. For the first time since 1996, all California-based teams, the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks, missed the playoffs. Six Canadian-based teams made the postseason this year, the most since 1993. It also marked the first time since 1986 that all four teams in cities based in Western Canada made the playoffs.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs
In addition, it marked the first time that both the Winnipeg Jets and Arizona Coyotes (previously the original Jets, before relocation) qualified for the playoffs in the same season, as well as the first time that the Coyotes made the playoffs since 2012. For the first time since 1999, all former World Hockey Association teams (Edmonton Oilers, Arizona Coyotes, Carolina Hurricanes, and Colorado Avalanche) made the playoffs.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs
Game two of the Second Round series between the Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights was the 94th game of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, surpassing the previous single-year record of 93 established in 2014. On September 17, the Tampa Bay Lightning became the first team in NHL history to win the clinching game of their first three series in overtime.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs
The Dallas Stars set the record for the most games played in one playoff year (27) in game six of the Stanley Cup Finals; the previous record (26) was shared by the 1987 Philadelphia Flyers, 2004 Calgary Flames, 2014 Los Angeles Kings, 2015 Tampa Bay Lightning and 2019 St. Louis Blues. Game six of the Stanley Cup Finals was also the 130th game of the playoffs, setting the all-time record for most games played in one playoff year.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs
All Second Round games that were originally scheduled on August 27 and 28 were postponed due to a wildcat strike, in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Playoff format
On May 26, the league announced that 24 teams (12 per conference) advanced to this special conference-based playoff tournament with teams being seeded based on their points percentage at the time the regular season was suspended on March 12. The top four teams in each conference played in a separate Seeding Round-robin to determine the seeding in the First Round. These games were played with regular season overtime and shootout rules, with the clubs accumulating points like the regular season, and any ties in the Round-robin standings were broken by the regular season points percentage. The eight lower seeded teams in each conference played in the Qualifying Round, a best-of-five series with playoff overtime rules. The winners of these series advanced to face one of the Round-Robin teams in the First Round.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Playoff format
On May 28, the NHL stated that both the Round-robin and the Qualifying Round were to be counted under playoff records, on the same day that the league declared the winners of the stats-based regular-season NHL awards. The league then announced on June 4 that all series after the Qualifying Round would remain a best-of-seven series but were re-seeded after each round. With the ratification of an extension to the collective bargaining agreement on July 10, the league also announced that all teams participating in the Qualifying Round are considered to have made the playoffs and have participated in a playoff series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Host cities
The playoffs were held in two "hub" cities both in Canada; Edmonton, Alberta at Rogers Place, and Toronto, Ontario at Scotiabank Arena. They were announced as host cities on July 10 with the NHLPA's ratification of the Return to Play plan, and an extension to its collective bargaining agreement with the NHLPA through the 2025–26 season. In the early rounds, each city hosted all of the games for one conference: the Eastern Conference teams played in Toronto, and the Western Conference teams played in Edmonton. All games in the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals were played in Edmonton.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Host cities
Edmonton and Toronto were among a shortlist of ten host cities announced on May 26, along with Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Saint Paul, and Vancouver. After the league cut the shortlist down to six cities on June 22, Las Vegas and Vancouver were considered to be the frontrunners to host games. Shortly after this, Vancouver dropped out of consideration on June 25, after health officials in British Columbia were unable to agree with the league on a protocol in the event that a player tested positive for COVID-19. Las Vegas and the other U.S. cities were passed over after Nevada and other U.S. states began to experience a spike in COVID-19 cases in late June; it was reported that the NHL originally intended to have one host city in Canada and one in the United States.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Host cities
Each group of teams played inside what was called a "bubble". A secure perimeter was constructed around both venues with various amenities, with Edmonton's covering four hotels in the Ice District and Rogers Place's existing practice facilities, and Toronto's split between Exhibition Place (Hotel X, BMO Field, & Coca-Cola Coliseum) and the Fairmont Royal York hotel (which is connected to Scotiabank Arena). Both sites included fitness, dining and recreation areas. Restaurants were operating within the secure zones, and players were able to order outside food via concierge and local food delivery services.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Host cities
The games were held behind closed doors, but non-participating players were allowed to watch games. A large "stage" with multiple video screens was constructed to cover the empty stands for both teams in each end of the arena, and in-arena presentation was customized for each team when they were the designated home team (including use of their goal music, among other features). The league implemented a compressed playoff schedule with more back-to-back games than usual to help address "bubble fatigue" among the players, who had to live with monotonous daily routines away from their families for several weeks.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Host cities
Although the general public was not permitted within the direct vicinity of the arena or inside, Oilers Entertainment Group announced plans to set up an outdoor "FanFest" at the site of a former casino near Rogers Place with approval of municipal and provincial health officials, including a "drive-in" screening games and a beer garden.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Medical protocols
Under the Return to Play plan that was ratified on July 10, any player could opt out of the restart without providing a reason and without any penalty, provided that they had informed their team by July 13, when formal training camps opened. COVID-19 tests were then to be administered to players and staff every other day. On July 19, testing increased to three times 48 hours apart. The identities of those who tested positive were not released to the public, they would then be isolated and designated with the generic description "unfit for play" until they were medically cleared, and all injury updates were handled by the league instead of the teams.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Medical protocols
Teams arrived at their hub city on July 26; they were isolated in a "secure zone" consisting of their hotels, restaurants, practice facilities, and the arena. Testing was done every day, as well as daily temperature and symptom checks. Individuals had to wear masks outside their hotel rooms except when eating, exercising, or while on the ice or bench. Other exceptions included during interviews with appropriate social distancing.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Medical protocols
Under the Quarantine Act, all travellers entering Canada at the time were required to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival. The NHL received an exception to this policy for its players and staff, as long as they remained within the secure zone and were restricted from access to or by the general public. Anybody who left the bubble without prior approval could have faced a mandatory 14-day quarantine or been barred from returning. Teams could have also faced fines or loss of draft picks.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Medical protocols
During the conclusions of each Qualifying Round series, teams exchanged fist bumps instead of the traditional handshakes. As players and coaches continued to test negative for COVID-19, the traditional handshake lines returned at the end of each First Round series. After entering the bubble, the league had no personnel test positive for the virus during the playoffs.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Playoff bracket
In each round, the highest remaining seed in each conference is matched against the lowest remaining seed. The higher-seeded team is awarded home ice advantage. In the Stanley Cup Finals, home ice was determined based on regular season points percentage. Each best-of-five series followed a 2–2–1 format: the higher-seeded team was the designated as the host for games one and two (and game five, if necessary), and the lower-seeded team was the host for games three (and game four, if necessary).


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Playoff bracket
Each best-of-seven series followed a 2–2–1–1–1 format: the higher-seeded team was the host for games one and two (and games five and seven, if necessary), and the lower-seeded team was the host for games three and four (and game six, if necessary). In the First Round, the top four teams in each conference were seeded one through four based on their final standings from the Round-robin. The teams that advanced from the Qualifying Round were re-seeded five through eight based on their regular season points percentage.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Exhibition games
Prior to the start of the playoffs, all 24 qualified teams played one exhibition game.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers
The top four playoff teams in each conference played in a round-robin tournament against each other to determine the final playoff seeding. The Round-robin games were played with regular season overtime and shootout rules, with the teams accumulating points like the regular season, and any ties in the round-robin standings were broken by the regular-season points percentage instead of regulation wins.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers
The bottom eight playoff teams in each conference played in a best-of-five series to determine which four teams advanced to the First Round. The Qualifying Round games were played with Stanley Cup playoff overtime rules. Seeding was determined by regular season points percentage.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Eastern Conference seeding round-robin
During the first game of Round-robin play, the Flyers' Carter Hart made 34 saves against the Bruins in a 4–1 victory. In the game between Washington and Tampa Bay, with the game forced to go to a shootout (the first in Stanley Cup playoff history), Nikita Kucherov's shot got past Braden Holtby for the winning goal in a 3–2 triumph. The Lightning then faced the Bruins, and Tyler Johnson's goal at 18:33 of the third period won the game for Tampa Bay 3–2. In the Flyers' match-up against the Capitals, Scott Laughton's two goals assisted Philadelphia's 3–1 victory. Between the top two seeds, the Flyers defeated the Lightning 4–1 to take the first seed riding on Nicolas Aube-Kubel's two goals in the first period. Battling out for the third spot, Holtby made 30 saves for Washington in their victory, defeating the Presidents' Trophy-winning Boston Bruins 2–1.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Western Conference seeding round-robin
During the first game between Colorado and St. Louis, Nazem Kadri scored with 0.1 remaining on the clock for the Avalanche emerging victorious 2–1. Vegas staged a two-goal comeback in their game against Dallas, coming back from 3–1 down to win 5–3.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Western Conference seeding round-robin
Avalanche goalie Pavel Francouz shut out the Stars 4–0 taking a 2–0 record in the Round-robin. Vegas forward Alex Tuch and defenceman Shea Theodore both scored twice in their game against St. Louis, emerging victorious 6–4. Battling out for the first seed, the Avalanche and Golden Knights held a back-and-forth affair until Alex Tuch scored in overtime to give Vegas a 4–3 victory, emerging as the top seed in the Western Conference. The Round-robin finale between the Stars and Blues was to determine the third seed. Joe Pavelski tied the game at one for the Stars with only 32 seconds remaining in regulation, then Denis Gurianov scored the only goal of the shootout to give Dallas the third seed with the 2–1 victory.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Eastern Conference Qualifying Round, (5) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (12) Montreal Canadiens
Pittsburgh finished fifth in the Eastern Conference with 86 points in 69 games for a points percentage of .623. Montreal gained 71 points in 71 games for a points percentage of .500 to finish twelfth in the Eastern Conference. This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with Montreal winning both previous series. They last met in the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals, which Montreal won in seven games. Pittsburgh won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Eastern Conference Qualifying Round, (5) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (12) Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens upset the Penguins in four games. With game one remaining tied 2–2 after the third period, Jeff Petry scored in overtime to give the Canadiens the victory. Among the 38 shots the Penguins forced on Carey Price in game two, Pittsburgh forward Jason Zucker's goal in the third period was the game-winner in their 3–1 triumph. In game three, Jeff Petry's goal in the third period capped a two-goal comeback for Montreal winning the affair 4–3 and taking the series lead. In game four, Carey Price shut the Penguins out 2–0 advancing the team to the First Round of the playoffs.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Eastern Conference Qualifying Round, (6) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (11) New York Rangers
Carolina finished sixth in the Eastern Conference with 81 points in 68 games for a points percentage of .596. New York gained 79 points in 70 games for a points percentage of .564 to finish eleventh in the Eastern Conference. This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. New York won all four games in this year's regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Eastern Conference Qualifying Round, (6) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (11) New York Rangers
The Hurricanes defeated the Rangers in a three-game sweep. In game one, Sebastian Aho and Jaccob Slavin both recorded a goal and an assist in the Hurricanes 3–2 victory. Andrei Svechnikov scored the Hurricanes' first playoff hat trick during game two in a 4–1 victory, giving Carolina the chance to clinch in game three. Aho provided two goals and an assist in game three giving Carolina a 4–1 victory and advancing the team to the First Round of the playoffs.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Eastern Conference Qualifying Round, (7) New York Islanders vs. (10) Florida Panthers
New York finished seventh in the Eastern Conference with 80 points in 68 games for a points percentage of .588. Florida gained 78 points in 69 games for a points percentage of .565 to finish tenth in the Eastern Conference. This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams. Their only previous meeting was in the 2016 Eastern Conference First Round, which New York won in six games. New York won all three games in this year's regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Eastern Conference Qualifying Round, (7) New York Islanders vs. (10) Florida Panthers
The Islanders defeated the Panthers in four games. In game one, a 27-save performance by New York goalie Semyon Varlamov gave the Islanders a 2–1 victory. Game two had Jordan Eberle score two goals for the Islanders, leading the team to a 4–2 victory. The Panthers, in danger of elimination in game three, scored two power-play goals en route to a 3–2 victory to force a fourth game. In the fourth game, Anthony Beauvillier scored twice for New York to send the Islanders to the first round of the playoffs in a 5–1 victory.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Eastern Conference Qualifying Round, (8) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (9) Columbus Blue Jackets
Toronto finished eighth in the Eastern Conference with 81 points in 70 games for a points percentage of .579 and 28 RWs. Columbus had the same points percentage, but with 25 RWs they finished ninth. This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. These teams split their two-game regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Eastern Conference Qualifying Round, (8) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (9) Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets defeated the Maple Leafs in five games. Joonas Korpisalo shut out the Maple Leafs in game one, stopping all 28 shots in a 2–0 victory. Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen responded with his own shut out in game two, stopping 20 shots in the process of a 3–0 victory. Pierre-Luc Dubois's hat-trick, three-goal comeback-fulfilling, overtime goal spurred Columbus' game three victory, winning by a score of 4–3. The Maple Leafs then responded with their own three-goal comeback, all while sporting an extra attacker with the goalie pulled. Auston Matthews then scored the overtime game-winner, the Leafs were victorious by a score of 4–3. In game five, Korpisalo shut the door on the Leafs, stopping all 33 shots in a 3–0 victory to advance to the First Round of the playoffs.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Western Conference Qualifying Round, (5) Edmonton Oilers vs. (12) Chicago Blackhawks
Edmonton finished fifth in the Western Conference with 83 points in 71 games for a points percentage of .585. Chicago gained 72 points in 70 games for a points percentage of .514 to finish twelfth in the Western Conference. This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with Edmonton winning three of the four previous series. They last met in the 1992 Clarence Campbell Conference Final, which Chicago won in a four-game sweep. Chicago won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Western Conference Qualifying Round, (5) Edmonton Oilers vs. (12) Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks upset the Oilers in four games. Blackhawks rookie forward Dominik Kubalik scored two goals and assisted three times in game one, resulting in Chicago's 6–4 victory. In game two, Oilers captain Connor McDavid recorded a hat-trick assisted thrice by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tying the series 1–1 in a 6–3 triumph. In game three, Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews scored twice, including the game-winner with 1:16 remaining in the game, capping off a 4–3 victory. In game four, Kubalik's goal at 8:30 of the third period proved to be the series-winner, defeating the Oilers 3–2.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Western Conference Qualifying Round, (6) Nashville Predators vs. (11) Arizona Coyotes
Nashville finished sixth in the Western Conference with 78 points in 69 games for a points percentage of .565, winning the tiebreaker against Vancouver with 28 RWs. Arizona gained 74 points in 70 games for a points percentage of .529 to finish eleventh in the Western Conference. This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams. Their only previous meeting was in the 2012 Western Conference Semifinals, which Arizona won in five games. These teams split their two-game regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Western Conference Qualifying Round, (6) Nashville Predators vs. (11) Arizona Coyotes
The Coyotes defeated the Predators in four games. In game one, the Coyotes jumped out to a 4–1 lead, scoring a power play and a shorthanded goal, and held off a Predators third period rally for the victory. Although the Coyotes had two goals in the final minute of game two, the Predators successfully kept the lead winning 4–2. In game three, Darcy Kuemper stopped 39 of 40 shots and his teammates exploded for three goals in the third period, leading to a 4–1 victory. The Coyotes clinched in game four after much drama; they blew a 2–0 second period lead and allowed Filip Forsberg's tying goal with only 32 seconds left in regulation, but Brad Richardson scored the series-winner 5:27 into overtime.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Western Conference Qualifying Round, (7) Vancouver Canucks vs. (10) Minnesota Wild
Vancouver finished seventh in the Western Conference with 78 points in 69 games for a points percentage of .565, losing the tiebreaker against Nashville with 27 RWs. Minnesota gained 77 points in 69 games for a points percentage of .558 to finish tenth in the Western Conference. This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams. Their only previous meeting was in the 2003 Western Conference Semifinals, which Minnesota came back from a 3–1 series deficit to win in seven games. Minnesota won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Western Conference Qualifying Round, (7) Vancouver Canucks vs. (10) Minnesota Wild
The Canucks defeated the Wild in four games. Alex Stalock stopped all 28 shots he faced in Minnesota's game one victory; the Wild won 3–0. In game two, Bo Horvat and Alexander Edler both had a goal and an assist in game two to help Vancouver even the series 1–1 winning the contest 4–3. Quinn Hughes assisted on all three goals and Jacob Markstrom stopped all 27 shots for Vancouver's game three victory. In game four, the Canucks' Christopher Tanev provided two assists and the series-winning overtime goal to send Vancouver to the First Round of the playoffs. Tanev's goal at eleven seconds into overtime tied the second fastest playoff overtime goal.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Western Conference Qualifying Round, (8) Calgary Flames vs. (9) Winnipeg Jets
Calgary finished eighth in the Western Conference with 79 points in 70 games for a points percentage of .564. Winnipeg gained 80 points in 71 games for a points percentage of .563 to finish ninth in the Western Conference. This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. This was also the first Stanley Cup playoff meeting between these two cities since the 1987 Smythe Division Semifinals. Winnipeg won the only game in this year's regular season series, which was played outdoors.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Western Conference Qualifying Round, (8) Calgary Flames vs. (9) Winnipeg Jets
The Flames defeated the Jets in four games. In game one, the Flames scored a power-play goal, then a short-handed goal, followed by another power-play goal in the second period to take a 4–1 victory. The Jets tied the series 1–1 on Connor Hellebuyck's 28-save performance in a 3–2 victory. In game three, Sean Monahan scored a goal and assisted twice in the Flames' 6–2 victory, giving his team a chance to advance in game four. Cam Talbot led the Flames to the series victory in game four, shutting the Jets out by a score of 4–0, stopping all 31 shots in the process.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (1) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
Philadelphia earned the first seed in the Eastern Conference after finishing 3–0 in the Round-robin; during the regular season they finished with 89 points in 69 games for a .645 points percentage. Montreal earned the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference as the lowest advancing seed from the Qualifying Round by defeating Pittsburgh. This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams with both teams splitting the six previous series. They last met in the 2010 Eastern Conference Final, which Philadelphia won in five games. Philadelphia won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (1) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
The Flyers eliminated the Canadiens in six games. In game one, Carter Hart made 27 saves against the Canadiens, defeating Montreal 2–1. Prior to game two, Canadiens head coach Claude Julien left the bubble due to an emergency stent being placed in his coronary artery. Kirk Muller was named interim head coach for the remainder of the series while Julien recovered in Montreal. Montreal tied the series after game two on Tomas Tatar and Jesperi Kotkaniemi two goals and Carey Price's 30-save 5–0 shut out victory.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (1) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
In game three, Flyers forward Jakub Voracek scored the only goal of the game and Hart turned away all 23 shots in a 1–0 shutout. Hart continued his shutout into game four, stopping all 29 shots in a 2–0 victory. In game five, Joel Armia scored twice for the Canadiens forcing a sixth game after 5–3 victory. Kevin Hayes had a goal and an assist in game six for the Flyers who defeated the Canadiens 3–2 and advanced to the Second Round.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (7) Columbus Blue Jackets
Tampa Bay earned the second seed in the Eastern Conference after finishing 2–1 in the Round-robin; during the regular season they finished with 92 points in 70 games for a .657 points percentage. Columbus earned the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference as the second lowest advancing seed from the Qualifying Round by defeating Toronto. This was the second consecutive playoff meeting and second postseason match-up between these two teams. Columbus won last year's Eastern Conference First Round playoff meeting in a four-game sweep. Tampa Bay won the only game in this year's regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (7) Columbus Blue Jackets
The Lightning defeated the Blue Jackets in five games. In game one, with the match tied at two, the teams headed into overtime. At 10:27 of the fifth overtime, Lightning forward Brayden Point ended the 3–2 marathon nearly six hours after its start. It was the fourth-longest game in NHL history. Columbus goalie Joonas Korpisalo made 85 saves during the affair, setting a modern day NHL record for saves in a playoff game. The Blue Jackets tied the series on Pierre-Luc Dubois's two assists and Korpisalo's 36 saves in game two, winning 3–1.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (7) Columbus Blue Jackets
In game three, Point continued his point streak scoring the second goal of a 3–2 Lightning victory. Barclay Goodrow and Yanni Gourde both scored and provided an assist for the Lightning in game four, who defeated the Blue Jackets 2–1 and took a 3–1 series lead. In game five, the Blue Jackets overcame a two-goal deficit to take the lead 4–2, however the Lightning were able to tie the score with 1:38 remaining in the game, which required overtime again. At 5:12 of the first overtime, Point's backhanded shot over Korpisalo ended the series, avenging last year's series for the Lightning, and sending them to the Second Round.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (3) Washington Capitals vs. (6) New York Islanders
Washington earned the third seed in the Eastern Conference after finishing 1–2 in the Round-robin; during the regular season they finished with 90 points in 69 games for a .652 points percentage. New York earned the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference as the second highest advancing seed from the Qualifying Round by defeating Florida. This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams with New York winning five of the seven previous series. They last met in the 2015 Eastern Conference First Round, which Washington won in seven games. These teams split the four games in this year's regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (3) Washington Capitals vs. (6) New York Islanders
The Islanders defeated the Capitals in five games. In game one, Josh Bailey's short-handed goal at 6:52 of the third period put the Islanders ahead 3–2 and with Anthony Beauvillier's goal to make it 4–2 New York held onto their lead to take the victory. Jean-Gabriel Pageau's two assists helped the Islanders take game two 5–2 taking a 2–0 series lead. The Islanders took a 3–0 series lead after game three ended in overtime on Mathew Barzal's goal, giving New York a 2–1 victory. In game four, Alexander Ovechkin's two goals extended the series for the Capitals in a 3–2 victory. Beauvillier's two goals helped shut the door against the Capitals, defeating them 4–0 and advancing to Second Round.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (4) Boston Bruins vs. (5) Carolina Hurricanes
Boston earned the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference after finishing 0–3 in the Round-robin; during the regular season they finished with 100 points in 70 games for a .714 points percentage. Carolina earned the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference as the highest advancing seed from the Qualifying Round by defeating the New York Rangers. This was the second consecutive postseason match-up and sixth playoff meeting overall between these two teams; with Boston winning four of the five previous series. Boston won last year's Eastern Conference Final series in a four-game sweep. Boston won the only game in this year's regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (4) Boston Bruins vs. (5) Carolina Hurricanes
The Bruins defeated the Hurricanes in five games. Due to game one of the Blue Jackets–Lightning series extending to the fifth overtime, game one of this series was postponed to the next day. The Bruins and Hurricanes had their own overtime marathon in game one with the game tied at three, but the game ended at 1:13 of the second overtime with Patrice Bergeron's goal. In game two, Martin Necas assisted twice for the Hurricanes who defeated the Bruins 3–2.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (4) Boston Bruins vs. (5) Carolina Hurricanes
With Tuukka Rask opting to leave the bubble, Jaroslav Halak started game three for the Bruins during which he made 29 saves, defeating the Hurricanes for a 3–1 victory. In game four, the Bruins came back from a 2–0 deficit, scoring four goals in the third period to overtake the Hurricanes by a final score of 4–3. In game five, David Pastrnak assisted twice in a defensive match defeating the Hurricanes 2–1 and advancing to the Second Round.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, First Round, Western Conference First Round, (1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (8) Chicago Blackhawks
Vegas earned the first seed in the Western Conference after finishing 3–0 in the Round-robin; during the regular season they finished with 86 points in 71 games for a .606 points percentage. Chicago earned the eighth seed in the Western Conference as the lowest advancing seed from the Qualifying Round by defeating Edmonton. This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Vegas won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, First Round, Western Conference First Round, (1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (8) Chicago Blackhawks
The Golden Knights defeated the Blackhawks in five games. In game one, Reilly Smith scored twice and provided an assist for the Golden Knights' 4–1 victory. Smith then ended game two at 7:13 of the first overtime; his team was victorious by a score of 4–3. In game three, the Golden Knights continued their win streak, defeating the Blackhawks 2–1 on Marc-Andre Fleury's 26 saves. Chicago ended Vegas' win streak in game four, riding on Corey Crawford's 48 saves performance to defeat the Golden Knights 3–1. In game five, Alex Tuch scored the go-ahead goal to put Vegas ahead in the third period. From there, they played defensively, turning away seven shots to win 4–3 and advance to the Second Round of the playoffs.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, First Round, Western Conference First Round, (2) Colorado Avalanche vs. (7) Arizona Coyotes
Colorado earned the second seed in the Western Conference after finishing 2–1 in the Round-robin; during the regular season they finished with 92 points in 70 games for a .657 points percentage. Arizona earned the seventh seed in the Western Conference as the second lowest advancing seed from the Qualifying Round by defeating Nashville. This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams. Their only previous meeting was in the 2000 Western Conference Quarterfinals, which Colorado won in five games. These teams split their two-game regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, First Round, Western Conference First Round, (2) Colorado Avalanche vs. (7) Arizona Coyotes
The Avalanche defeated the Coyotes in five games. The Avalanche limited the Coyotes to fourteen shots in game one and Philipp Grubauer stopped all of them in their 3–0 victory. In game two, Avalanche right wing Andre Burakovsky scored the game-winning goal with 2:53 remaining in the third period to defeat the Coyotes 3–2. Darcy Kuemper made 49 saves in game three, giving the Coyotes a 4–2 victory and their first win of the series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, First Round, Western Conference First Round, (2) Colorado Avalanche vs. (7) Arizona Coyotes
The Avalanche provided a defensive and offensive approach to game four routing out the Coyotes 7–1 and limiting their shots to 15 giving them a chance to clinch in game five. In game five, the Avalanche continued their dominance in a 7–1 victory, advancing to the Second Round on Nathan MacKinnon's two goals and two assists.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, First Round, Western Conference First Round, (3) Dallas Stars vs. (6) Calgary Flames
Dallas earned the third seed in the Western Conference after finishing 1–2 in the Round-robin; during the regular season they finished with 82 points in 69 games for a .594 points percentage. Calgary earned the sixth seed in the Western Conference as the second highest advancing seed from the Qualifying Round by defeating Winnipeg. This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams. Their only previous meeting was in the 1981 Stanley Cup Semifinals, which the then-Minnesota North Stars won in six games. Calgary won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, First Round, Western Conference First Round, (3) Dallas Stars vs. (6) Calgary Flames
The Stars eliminated the Flames in six games. Dillon Dube scored twice for Calgary in game one as the Flames took the victory 3–2. In game two, with forty seconds remaining, Jamie Oleksiak scored the game-winning goal for Dallas defeating Calgary 5–4. Cam Talbot stopped all 35 shots he faced in game three defeating the Stars 2–0 and taking a 2–1 series lead. In game four, Stars forward Joe Pavelski scored a hat trick and Alexander Radulov's overtime-game winner tied the series 2–2, defeating the Flames 5–4. Anton Khudobin made 28 saves for the Stars in game five, defeating the Flames 2–1 and taking a 3–2 series lead. In game six, the Stars recovered from a 3–0 deficit led by Denis Gurianov's four goals, completing the series with a 7–3 victory.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, First Round, Western Conference First Round, (4) St. Louis Blues vs. (5) Vancouver Canucks
St. Louis earned the fourth seed in the Western Conference after finishing 0–3 in the Round-robin; during the regular season they finished with 94 points in 71 games for a .662 points percentage. Vancouver earned the fifth seed in the Western Conference as the highest advancing seed from the Qualifying Round by defeating Minnesota. This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with Vancouver winning all three previous series. They last met in the 2009 Western Conference Quarterfinals, which Vancouver won in a four-game sweep. Vancouver won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, First Round, Western Conference First Round, (4) St. Louis Blues vs. (5) Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks defeated the Blues in six games. Canucks captain Bo Horvat scored twice in game one, defeating the Blues 5–2. Although Blues forward Samuel Blais tied game two with seven seconds remaining, Horvat's second goal of the game at 5:55 of overtime gave the Canucks a 4–3 victory and a 2–0 series lead. In game three, Jake Allen made 39 saves and Brayden Schenn scored the overtime-game winning goal, defeating the Canucks 3–2. The Blues evened up the series in game four, with Ryan O'Reilly scoring twice in a 3–1 victory. Vancouver came back from a two-goal deficit in game five to defeat St. Louis 4–3 and take a 3–2 series lead. Tyler Motte scored twice in game six, sending the Canucks to the Second Round and handily defeating the Blues 6–2.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Second Round, Eastern Conference Second Round, (1) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (6) New York Islanders
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with Philadelphia winning three of the four previous series. They last met in the 1987 Patrick Division Finals, which Philadelphia won in seven games. New York won all three games in this year's regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Second Round, Eastern Conference Second Round, (1) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (6) New York Islanders
The Islanders upset the Flyers in seven games after giving up a 3–1 series lead. Semyon Varlamov posted his second consecutive shutout in game one, stopping all 29 shots for 4–0 Islanders victory. The Flyers prevented a three-goal comeback from the Islanders in game two with Philippe Myers' goal at 2:41 of overtime to defeat New York 4–3. Varlamov made 26 saves for the Islanders in game three, emerging victorious 3–1. In game four, Brock Nelson scored twice and Thomas Greiss made 36 saves for the Islanders in a 3–2 victory.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Second Round, Eastern Conference Second Round, (1) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (6) New York Islanders
Although the Flyers dropped a 3–1 lead in the third period of game five, they forced a sixth game on Scott Laughton's overtime goal to win 4–3. In game six, the Flyers held a back-and-forth affair reaching the second overtime where Ivan Provorov's goal at 15:03 kept Philadelphia's season alive, defeating New York 5–4. In game seven, Brock Nelson had a goal and two assists and Greiss stopped all sixteen shots he faced in a 4–0 shutout to send the Islanders to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time in 27 years.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Second Round, Eastern Conference Second Round, (2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (4) Boston Bruins
This was the third playoff series between these two teams with both teams splitting the two previous series. They last met in the 2018 Eastern Conference Second Round, which Tampa Bay won in five games. Tampa Bay won the Round-robin game between these two teams earlier in this year's playoffs 3–2. Tampa Bay won three of four games in this year's regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Second Round, Eastern Conference Second Round, (2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (4) Boston Bruins
The Lightning defeated the Bruins in five games. Jaroslav Halak made 35 saves for the Bruins in game one who defeated the Lightning 3–2. In game two, Ondrej Palat scored the overtime-winning goal for Tampa Bay, tying the series 1–1 in a 4–3. victory. The Lightning had an offensive outburst in game three, scoring seven goals against Boston in a 7–1 rout. Palat scored twice for the Lightning in game four, defeating the Bruins 3–1 and taking a 3–1 series lead. In game five, Victor Hedman ended the series 14:10 into double-overtime for the Lightning, defeating the Bruins 3–2 and advancing to the Eastern Conference Final.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Second Round, Western Conference Second Round, (1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (5) Vancouver Canucks
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. These two teams split their two-game regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Second Round, Western Conference Second Round, (1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (5) Vancouver Canucks
The Golden Knights defeated the Canucks in seven games after giving up a 3–1 series lead. In game one, Robin Lehner stopped all 26 shots he faced as the Golden Knights defeated the Canucks 5–0. Jacob Markstrom made 38 saves for the Canucks in game two, tying the series 1–1 and defeating the Golden Knights 5–2. Lehner posted his second shutout of the series, stopping all 31 shots in game three, defeating the Canucks 3–0.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Second Round, Western Conference Second Round, (1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (5) Vancouver Canucks
Max Pacioretty scored twice and provided an assist for the Golden Knights in game four, who defeated the Canucks 5–3 to take a 3–1 series lead. In game five, rookie goaltender Thatcher Demko made 42 saves for the Canucks, defeating the Golden Knights 2–1 to force a sixth game. Demko shut out the Golden Knights in game six, stopping all 48 shots he faced in a 4–0 victory. In game seven, the Golden Knights limited the Canucks' shots to fourteen throughout three periods, shutting out Vancouver 3–0 and advancing to the Western Conference Final.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Second Round, Western Conference Second Round, (2) Colorado Avalanche vs. (3) Dallas Stars
This was the fifth playoff series between these two teams, with both teams splitting the four previous series. They last met in the 2006 Western Conference Quarterfinals, which Colorado won in five games. Colorado won the Round-robin game between these two teams earlier in this year's playoffs 4–0. Dallas won all four games in this year's regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Second Round, Western Conference Second Round, (2) Colorado Avalanche vs. (3) Dallas Stars
The Stars defeated the Avalanche in seven games after giving up a 3–1 series lead. In game one, Alexander Radulov scored twice, also providing an assist, in a 5–3 victory for the Stars. After falling behind 2–0 in game two, the Stars rallied past the Avalanche, scoring four goals in the second period and defeating Dallas 5–2. In game three, the Avalanche spoiled a two-goal comeback by the Stars, scoring three straight in the third period with 7:58 remaining to defeat Dallas 6–4.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Second Round, Western Conference Second Round, (2) Colorado Avalanche vs. (3) Dallas Stars
The Stars held off a late rally by the Avalanche in game four, keeping the score at 5–4 and taking a 3–1 series lead with the victory.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Second Round, Western Conference Second Round, (2) Colorado Avalanche vs. (3) Dallas Stars
In game five, the Avalanche had a first period offensive outburst, scoring five goals, including four within a span of 2:36 (one second from equalling the league record for the fastest four goals by one team in a game in playoff history) to win 6–3. Nathan MacKinnon extended his point streak to fourteen games, scoring a goal and recording an assist in game six to defeat the Stars 4–1 and force a seventh game. In game seven, the two teams battled it throughout three periods scoring four against each other, but 7:24 into overtime Joel Kiviranta's hat trick goal gave the Stars the victory, advancing to the Western Conference Final with a 5–4 victory.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Final, (2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (6) New York Islanders
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams with Tampa Bay winning both previous series. They last met in the 2016 Eastern Conference Second Round, which Tampa Bay won in five games. This was Tampa Bay's sixth Conference Finals appearance. They last went to the Conference Finals in 2018, which they lost to the Washington Capitals in seven games. This was New York's fifth appearance in the Conference Finals. They last went to the Conference Finals in 1993, which they lost against the Montreal Canadiens in five games. New York won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Final, (2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (6) New York Islanders
The Lightning defeated the Islanders in six games. In game one, Lightning forwards Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov both had five points in an 8–2 rout: Point had two goals and three assists and Kucherov scored a goal and assisted four times. Kucherov scored the game-winning goal with nine seconds remaining in game two to give the Lightning a 2–1 victory. After giving up a 3–1 lead in game three, Brock Nelson's goal with 3:25 left put the Islanders ahead, emerging victorious 5–3.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Final, (2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (6) New York Islanders
In game four, three Lightning players had two points and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy provided an assist in Tampa Bay's 4–1 victory to take a 3–1 series lead. In game five, Islanders forward Jordan Eberle scored at 12:30 of double overtime to win the game 2–1 and extend the series to a sixth game. Anthony Cirelli's goal at 13:18 of the first overtime period in game six gave the Lightning a 2–1 victory sending Tampa Bay to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2015.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Finals, Western Conference Final, (1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (3) Dallas Stars
This was the first playoff series between these two teams. Vegas won their Round-robin game between these two teams earlier in this year's playoffs 5–3. This was Vegas' second appearance in the Conference Finals. Their only previous Conference Finals was in 2018, which they won against the Winnipeg Jets in five games. This was Dallas's seventh Conference Finals appearance. They last went to the Conference Finals in 2008, which they lost to the Detroit Red Wings in six games. These teams split their two games in this year's regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Finals, Western Conference Final, (1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (3) Dallas Stars
The Stars defeated the Golden Knights in five games. Anton Khudobin made 25 saves and John Klingberg scored the only goal of game one for the Stars, shutting out Vegas 1–0. Robin Lehner posted his own shutout in game two, stopping all 24 shots in the Golden Knights' 3–0 victory. In game three, Alexander Radulov gave the Stars a 2–1 series lead after his goal 31 seconds into overtime ensured Dallas a 3–2 victory. Khudobin made 32 saves in game four, leading the Stars to a 2–1 win. In game five, the Stars came back from a 2–0 deficit in the third period to force overtime and at 3:36 of the first overtime, Denis Gurianov scored to send the Stars to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 20 years with a 3–2 victory.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Finals
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Tampa Bay made their third Finals appearance. They last went to the Finals in 2015, which they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games. Dallas made their fifth appearance in the Finals. They last went to the Finals in 2000, which they lost to the New Jersey Devils in six games. Dallas won both games in this year's regular season series.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Player statistics, Skaters
These are the top ten skaters based on points, following the conclusion of the playoffs.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Player statistics, Goaltenders
This is a combined table of the top five goaltenders based on goals against average and the top five goaltenders based on save percentage, with at least 420 minutes played. The table is sorted by GAA, and the criteria for inclusion are bolded.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Activism
On August 26, 2020, various professional athletes in the U.S began to go on strike from their respective sports contests in response to the August 23 police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and the protests which followed. These strikes began with the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Other players in the NBA, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and Women's National Basketball Association soon followed suit and also decided not to play their August 26 games.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Activism
When these cancellations south of the border began, NHL players were still isolated in the Edmonton and Toronto bubbles, with game two of the Islanders–Flyers series already in progress when the Bucks first announced their decision to not play. The NHL then continued to play the remaining August 26 games, as NHL players did not take a strong stand for the rest of the day.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Activism
After pressure brought by the postponement of games by the other leagues, and discussions by players of the Hockey Diversity Alliance such as Evander Kane and Mathew Dumba, the NHLPA announced that they would not play their games on August 27 and August 28. The affected games involved all eight teams remaining: game three between the Flyers and Islanders, game three between the Golden Knights and Canucks, game four between the Lightning and Bruins, and game four between the Avalanche and Stars. The NHL fully supported their decision to postpone the games. On September 1, Dallas Stars president Brad Alberts reported that his team had lost some corporate and personal season ticket holders as a result of the protest.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Television
This marked the sixth postseason under Rogers Media's 12-year contract for Canadian television rights to the NHL. All games were exclusively broadcast by Sportsnet and CBC under the Hockey Night in Canada brand, and streamed on Sportsnet Now, CBCSports.ca (for games televised by CBC), or the subscription service Rogers NHL Live.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Television
This also marked the ninth postseason under NBC Sports' current 10-year contract for American rights. All national coverage of games were aired on either NBCSN, the NBC broadcast network, CNBC, NHL Network, or USA Network. During the round-robins, Qualifying Round, and First Round, excluding games exclusively broadcast on NBC, the regional rightsholders of each participating U.S. team will produce local telecasts of their respective games.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Television
Only technical staff such as cameramen and producers were present inside the "bubble". A clean host feed was then sent to media partners to add commentary and surrounding coverage, and interviews with players had to be conducted via videoconferencing. Commentators called the games remotely off of monitors from either their respective studios or from their home arena press boxes. This same arrangement was also done for the radio networks of every team.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Television
While it was initially stated that all commentators would broadcast remotely, the league eventually allowed a handful of both Sportsnet and NBC commentators and reporters into the hubs to call select games. Chris Cuthbert, who jumped from TSN to Sportsnet during the break in June, and Louie DeBrusk were on-site in Edmonton; and Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson were on-site in Toronto during the Qualifying, First, and Second rounds; they later moved to the Edmonton hub. For NBC, John Forslund, Mike Milbury, and Brian Boucher were initially sent to Toronto; and Pierre McGuire to Edmonton.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Television
Milbury was later removed from commentary for the remainder of NBC Sports' coverage after making insensitive comments following the fifth game of the Islanders–Capitals First Round series. Gord Miller later joined Forslund, Milbury, and Boucher at the Toronto bubble and alternated with Forslund on a handful of broadcasts. Most of NBC's other commentators began working games remotely from NBC Sports' studios in Stamford, Connecticut, with NBC planning for "the majority of calls" to eventually be conducted on-site, including the last two rounds of the playoffs in Edmonton.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Television
Kenny Albert, who does double duty for both NBC and the New York Rangers radio broadcasts, traveled to the Edmonton bubble after the Rangers were eliminated in the Qualifying Round. Albert called play-by-play of every game of the Western Conference Second Round and the first three games of the Western Conference Finals before leaving the Edmonton bubble to join the NFL on Fox broadcast team. Forslund, Boucher, and Eddie Olczyk later flew to the Edmonton bubble to call the Conference Finals. In the case of NBC lead play-by-play commentator Mike "Doc" Emrick, he was working games from his home studio in Metro Detroit because he is a cancer survivor over the age of 70, and therefore at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Television
Additional cameras were used to provide new angles not usually possible when a crowd is present, and de-emphasize views of the arenas' stands. The telecasts used simulated crowd noise provided by Electronic Arts, combined with recordings of team-specific chants by season ticketholders of participating teams (the latter of which will also be played in-arena). All games carried a five second broadcast delay in order to censor offensive language.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Television
NBC staff were working on the Toronto broadcasts, while Sportsnet staff did the same with the Edmonton broadcasts. Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun reported that Canadian freelance broadcast workers were upset that NBC personnel were being allowed into Canada to work in Toronto instead of them. The NHL's EVP of communications Gary Meagher stated that splitting production in this manner had been intended "from the onset". Premier of Ontario Doug Ford admitted that plans of NBC's involvement were not part of the early negotiations with the league.


2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Television, Viewership
Average U.S. viewership of the playoff rounds were down by 28% compared to 2019, the lowest to-date over the course of NBC's current broadcast rights contract. Amid expanded competition due to the difference in scheduling, game one of the Stanley Cup Finals was seen by only 2.12 million viewers; with an average of 2.15 million across the entire series, it was the least-watched Stanley Cup Finals since 2007, and down 61% over 2019. Airing opposite a Monday Night Football contest between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, Game six was seen by 2.88 million viewers, the least-watched series-clinching game since at least 2000.


2020 State of Origin series
The 2020 State of Origin series was the 39th annual best-of-three series between the Queensland and New South Wales rugby league teams. Before this series, Queensland has won 21 times, NSW 15 times, with two series drawn.


2020 State of Origin series
Originally, the series was to have been played in the traditional mid-season slot; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic which caused the season to be suspended after round two, the series was moved to November, with the three matches to be played on consecutive Wednesday nights. On 15 May, the NRL announced that the matches would be played on three consecutive Wednesdays after the season's end, these being 4, 11 and 18 November.


2020 State of Origin series
For just the third time, a game was played away from Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne, with Game 1 played at Adelaide’s Adelaide Oval.


2020 State of Origin series
Before the start of the series, Daily Telegraph journalist Dean Ritchie described the Queensland team as the worst ever Maroons side. Queensland would go on to upset a highly fancied New South Wales side and win the series 2–1.


2020 State of Origin series, Teams, New South Wales Blues
1 – Tom Trbojevic was originally selected in the squad, but was subsequently forced to withdraw due to injury. He was replaced by Zac Lomax.


2020 State of Origin series, Teams, Queensland Maroons
1 – Kalyn Ponga was originally selected in the squad, but was subsequently forced to withdraw due to injury.


2020 State of the Nation Address (Philippines)
The 2020 State of the Nation Address was the fifth State of the Nation Address delivered by President Rodrigo Duterte.


2020 State of the Nation Address (Philippines), Preparations
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, there was uncertainty on whether President Rodrigo Duterte would be physically present in the Session Hall of the Batasang Pambansa Complex to deliver his annual State of the Nation Address. Among the options considered as mentioned by Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque was Duterte delivering his speech via video conference from Malacañang.


2020 State of the Nation Address (Philippines), Preparations
On July 20, 2020, Roque confirmed that Duterte "will be physically present in Batasan". The House of Representatives has also issued an advisory allowing only the government-owned Radio TV Malacañang (RTVM) to set up broadcast equipment for the said event and will be fed for use by other media entities. The event will also be live streamed through the YouTube and Facebook channels of RTVM.


2020 State of the Nation Address (Philippines), Preparations
The Metro Manila Development Authority is expected to deploy about 1,000 traffic management personnel to help manage the traffic within the venue of the said event. Film director Joyce Bernal, who was commissioned to be involved in the coverage of the speech, has promised a simpler "very Filipino" SONA but with a "different flavor".


2020 State of the Nation Address (Philippines), Seating and guests
Attendees of the event at Batasang Pambansa were mandated to be swab tested for COVID-19 which included Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, his wife Lani Cayetano, Deputy Speakers Raneo Abu and Dan Fernandez, and Minority Floor Leader Bienvenido Abante Jr. Only a maximum of 50 people were allowed to be physically present in the venue, said Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar. In the event that many of the guests would test positive from COVID-19, Andanar said that the event will be moved to the Rizal Hall of Malacañang.


2020 State of the Nation Address (Philippines), Seating and guests
Deputy Speaker and Surigao del Sur Representative Johnny Pimentel, who was among the expected attendees, test positive and so was six personnel from Malacañang who were part of the technical team of the event.


2020 State of the Nation Address (Philippines), Seating and guests
Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri opted not to attend the event.


2020 State of the Nation Address (Philippines), Address content and delivery
In his speech which lasted for 1 hour and 41 minutes, Duterte addressed the current pandemic and its effects to the country. He urged Congress to pass 21 priority bills among which includes the passage of COVID-19-related bills such as the "Bayanihan to Recover as One Act", "Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (Create) Act" and "Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer (Fist) Act"; the lifting of continuing professional development (CPD) units requirement on professionals and the re-imposition of death penalty in the country.


2020 State of the Nation Address (Philippines), Address content and delivery
Also among the proposed measures were the creation of new government agencies such as a Department of Overseas Filipinos to focus on Filipino migrant workers, a Department of Disaster Resilience to spearhead in disaster response, a National Disease Prevention and Management Authority which will equip the country from future disease outbreaks and a Boracay Island Development Authority that will oversee the post-rehabilitation aspect of Boracay Island.


2020 State of the Nation Address (Philippines), Address content and delivery
Duterte began his speech with a tirade against ABS-CBN, the Lopezes who own the company and Senate Minority Floor Leader Franklin Drilon. He accused Drilon of defending the Lopezes as "oligarchs" and for linking the anti-dynasty system to his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and son Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte. Drilon previously challenged Duterte to prioritize an anti-dynasty law if the latter wanted to dismantle oligarchy in the country however, he clarified after the speech that he "never mentioned the children of the President."


2020 State of the Nation Address (Philippines), Address content and delivery
On the South China Sea dispute, Duterte lamented that he "cannot do anything" about it  and said that the country could not afford going into war with China. He also rejected the idea of the return of foreign bases in Subic Bay fearing that it may result to "extinction of the Filipino race."


2020 State of the Nation Address (Philippines), Address content and delivery
Telecommunications companies Globe Telecom and Smart Communications were also not spared by Duterte after he threatened them to improve their services or face expropriation as the country prepares for the March 2021 commercial roll out of Dito Telecommunity which aims to become the third major telecommunications provider in the Philippines.


2020 State of the Union Address
The 2020 State of the Union Address was given by the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump, on Tuesday, February 4, 2020, at 9 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 116th United States Congress. It was Trump's third and final State of the Union Address and his fourth and final speech to a joint session of the United States Congress. Presiding over this joint session was the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, accompanied by Mike Pence, the vice president, in his capacity as the president of the Senate.


2020 State of the Union Address
The speech was the second State of the Union Address to be delivered by an impeached president, as the 1999 address by Bill Clinton was delivered during his impeachment trial. The address was aired on 12 television networks and was watched by 37.2 million viewers, not including views from online live streams. Overall viewership for the address was 20% lower than 2019. As Trump was concluding the state of the union address, Nancy Pelosi stood and ripped up her copy of the speech as a form of protest.


2020 State of the Union Address, Background
Article II, Section 3, Clause 1 of the United States Constitution states that the president "shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sent an invitation to President Trump on December 20, 2019, two days after his impeachment by the House of Representatives.


2020 State of the Union Address, Background
In what was considered an unpresidential action, CNN anchors were excluded from the annual pre-State of the Union lunch with the president.


2020 State of the Union Address, Address
The State of the Union Address began at 9:00 p.m. EST and was televised and streamed by all major U.S. broadcast and cable television networks. The date for the address fell one day after the Iowa caucuses in the 2020 presidential election, and one day before the Senate vote on whether or not to convict Trump in his impeachment trial. As Trump entered the chamber, he appeared to snub  Pelosi's offer of a handshake. Breaking with tradition again, Pelosi omitted the line "I have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you" before introducing the president. Secretary of Interior David Bernhardt was named the designated survivor and was at an undisclosed location during the address so that, in case of a catastrophe, the continuity of government would be upheld.


2020 State of the Union Address, Address
The address lasted a total of 78 minutes; approximately 26 minutes of the address was consumed by audience applause, primarily from Republican lawmakers. Republican lawmakers in the audience shouted "four more years" before Trump began his address. The address, heralded by Trump as "the great American comeback", primarily focused on national security, the economy, health care, and foreign policy while avoiding topics such as environmental policy and climate change, the Mueller investigation, and his impeachment trial, which was expected to conclude the next day. Various media outlets reported that Trump made false or misleading claims during his address.


2020 State of the Union Address, Address
Among Trump's comments, he addressed the emerging COVID-19 pandemic: "We are coordinating with the Chinese government and working closely together on the coronavirus outbreak in China. My administration will take all necessary steps to safeguard our citizens from this threat."


2020 State of the Union Address, Address, Notable invitations
Following a bipartisan tradition that dates back to the Reagan presidency, Trump invited and introduced guests during the speech.


2020 State of the Union Address, Address, Speaker Pelosi ripping up speech
As the address concluded, Pelosi tore up her copy of the speech in four separate sections. "In case any confusion remained" regarding her actions, "Pelosi held up what remained of the address to her family in the gallery, in full view of reporters". Pelosi defended her actions, saying "He shredded the truth, so I shredded his speech. What we heard last night was a disgrace." Pelosi elaborated that "it was a courteous thing to do considering the alternatives. It was such a dirty speech."


2020 State of the Union Address, Address, Speaker Pelosi ripping up speech
Subsequent to the address, a video showed Pelosi making small tears of the speech as it was being delivered. In a subsequent interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Pelosi admitted to making small tears in her paper copy as the speech was being made, but denied that it was a part of a predetermined act to tear up the speech at its conclusion. Pelosi said that making small rips in the speech was simply a way of marking pages where she disagreed with the president. Some news outlets such as NBC assessed the act differently, "Before House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripped President Donald Trump's printed State of the Union speech in half, it appears she made tiny tears on the sides to ensure that the moment would go smoothly."


2020 State of the Union Address, Address, Speaker Pelosi ripping up speech
After the SOTU, the White House Twitter account posted "Speaker Pelosi just ripped up: One of our last surviving Tuskegee Airmen. The survival of a child born at 21 weeks. The mourning families of Rocky Jones and Kayla Mueller. A service member’s reunion with his family. That’s her legacy."


2020 State of the Union Address, Address, Speaker Pelosi ripping up speech
Reaction to Pelosi tearing up the speech followed party lines in the days following the SOTU. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway described it as a "temper tantrum" which she believed was typical for Pelosi. "America saw an incorrigible child ripping up the State of the Union," Conway told reporters the day after the speech. "I think it shows you how petty and peevish and partisan the Democratic Party has become."


2020 State of the Union Address, Address, Speaker Pelosi ripping up speech
Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, praised Pelosi's actions saying, "As far as I’m concerned, a shredder wasn’t available, and so she did what she needed to do." Representative Lois Frankel, Democrat of Florida, said "I think she did the only thing she could do within the realm of respectability. She basically said she had had it."


2020 State of the Union Address, Protests
Several members of Congress boycotted the State of the Union, including Democratic representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, Earl Blumenauer, Steve Cohen, Al Green, Hank Johnson, Maxine Waters, and Frederica Wilson. Carrying on a tradition started during the 2019 State of the Union Address, Democratic women who attended the speech dressed in white in reference to the women's suffrage movement and wore lapel pins with symbols for the Equal Rights Amendment and global warming (climate change).


2020 State of the Union Address, Protests
During Trump's speech, after urging Congress to pursue legislation to lower prescription drug prices, several members of Congress began chanting "H.R. 3" in protest of the Senate's rejection of the Elijah Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act.


2020 State of the Union Address, Protests
Democratic representative Tim Ryan walked out of the State of the Union and published a series of tweets, comparing the event to "watching professional wrestling". Gun control activist Fred Guttenberg, invited by Pelosi, was ejected after shouting in response to Trump's remarks about protecting the Second Amendment.


2020 State of the Union Address, Protests
Democratic congressman Seth Moulton from Massachusetts, a former Marine, walked out in protest after Trump touted the support he has given to the military. Moulton clarified later that he walked out because "Trump—a draft dodger who has mocked Sen. John McCain, Gold Star families, and soldiers with traumatic brain injury—started talking about the good he has done for our military."


2020 State of the Union Address, Responses
Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer gave the Democratic response. Texas representative Veronica Escobar gave a Spanish-language response. In addition, Senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and Representative Ayanna Pressley gave their own unofficial responses.


2020 State of the Union Address, Coverage
The State of the Union Address was televised on all the major U.S. broadcast and cable television networks. Many news outlets streamed the address online.


2020 State of the Union Address, Coverage, Viewership
Of the 12 networks that covered the address, every network saw a drop in ratings compared to 2019, except for Fox News, which saw a 2% increase over 2019. Following the address, both CNN and MSNBC saw an increase in viewership during Gretchen Whitmer's official response to the address.


2020 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football team
The 2020 Stephen F. Austin football team represented  Stephen F. Austin State University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Southland Conference. The Lumberjacks were led by second–year head coach Colby Carthel and played their home games at Homer Bryce Stadium. The team finished 6–4 for the program's first winning season since 2014. All four losses were against NCAA Division I FBS teams.


2020 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football team, Preseason, Preseason poll
The Southland Conference released their original preseason poll in July 2020. The Lumberjacks were picked to finish eighth in the conference, prior to their schedule split from the rest of the league. In addition, one Lumberjack was chosen to the Preseason All-Southland Team


2020 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football team, Preseason, Preseason poll
(*) These teams opted out of playing in the revised spring 2021 Southland schedule, and instead played as Independent in the fall of 2020.


2020 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football team, Schedule
Stephen F. Austin had a game scheduled against Alabama A&M, but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


2020 Stetson Hatters football team
The 2020 Stetson Hatters football team represents Stetson University during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They are led by eighth-year head coach Roger Hughes and play their home games at Spec Martin Stadium. They are members of the Pioneer Football League.


2020 Stetson Hatters football team, Previous season
The Hatters finished the 2019 season 7–4, 4–4 in PFL play to finish in a two-way tie for fifth place.


2020 Stetson Hatters football team, Schedule
Stetson released their full football schedule on February 25, 2020. The Hatters had games scheduled against Ave Maria (September 5), Louisiana College (September 12), and Presbyterian (October 3), which were later canceled before the start of the 2020 season.


2020 Stock Car Brasil Championship
The 2020 Stock Car Brasil Championship will be the forty-second season of the Stock Car Brasil. From 2020 Toyota Gazoo Racing will enter in the series.


2020 Stock Car Brasil Championship, Teams and drivers, Team changes
Cimed Racing announced the departure as a team of the championship after seven seasons and two titles. Customer team in 2019 Crown Racing will expand to four cars. The team also announced an alliance with Shell V-Power Racing that left TMG Racing. After the end of partnership, TMG announced a new partner with Blau Motorsport in 2020. The new team, which will be formed by the union of the two structures. After one year of partnership Full Time Sports and Shell broke up and FTS will take on four cars.


2020 Stock Car Brasil Championship, Teams and drivers, Team changes
Prati-Donaduzzi breaks up with R. Mattheis Motorsport and leaves Stock Car. The team will return to the original name.


2020 Stock Car Brasil Championship, Teams and drivers, Team changes
Hot Car Competições scaled back to a single car operations and Carlos Alves Competições, who competed part-time last season, will not return.


2020 Stock Car Brasil Championship, Teams and drivers, Team changes
Toyota Gazoo Racing Brasil will compete with eight cars. The teams selected was Full Time Sports with four cars; RCM and Ipiranga Racing.


2020 Stock Car Brasil Championship, Teams and drivers, Drivers changes
Atila Abreu and Ricardo Zonta left TMG Racing and Galid Osman and Gaetano di Mauro left Full Time Sports. Abreu and Osman will be part of Crown Racing; Zonta joined RCM and Di Mauro entered Vogel.


2020 Stock Car Brasil Championship, Teams and drivers, Drivers changes
Felipe Fraga left the series after six season and one title to focus on his international career. He will be part of Mercedes-Benz GT programme.


2020 Stock Car Brasil Championship, Teams and drivers, Drivers changes
Gabriel Casagrande moved from Crown Racing to R. Mattheis. 2019 drivers Júlio Campos and Valdeno Brito didn't advertise 2020 plans. Later, Campos signed with Crown Racing for replaced Casagrande and Brito joined Copa Truck championship.


2020 Stock Car Brasil Championship, Teams and drivers, Drivers changes
Argentine racing driver, Matias Rossi joined Toyota Full Time. Piquet, Jr. was relocated to the customer team alongside Rafael Suzuki, who moved from Hot Car Competições.


2020 Stock Car Brasil Championship, Race calendar and Results
The calendar suffered a lot of changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


2020 Stock Car Brasil Championship, Championship standings
Points are awarded for each race at an event to the driver/s of a car that completed at least 75% of the race distance and was running at the completion of the race.


2020 Stock Car Brasil Championship, Championship standings, Drivers' Championship
Bold – Pole positionItalics – Fastest lap† – Retired, but classified


2020 Stockton, California mayoral election
The 2020 Stockton, California mayoral election took place on March 3, 2020 with a runoff election held on November 3, 2020 to elect the mayor of Stockton, California. Despite a strong performance in the primary, incumbent Democrat Michael Tubbs was defeated by Republican Kevin Lincoln in the general election.


2020 Stockton, California mayoral election
Municipal elections in California are officially nonpartisan; candidates' party affiliations do not appear on the ballot.