WHL aiming to start 2020-21 season on Oct. 2

The Western Hockey League has a tentative plan to begin its next campaign in the fall.

The league confirmed Wednesday it is targeting a start date of Oct. 2 for the 2020-21 regular season, but that date is dependent on approval from government and health officials.

"The WHL is committed to protecting the integrity of the WHL regular-season schedule and fully intends to complete a full 68-game schedule for 2020-21, regardless of when the season begins," the league said in a statement.

It added it will work with authorities in relevant regions to determine how many fans will be permitted to attend games once play resumes.

The WHL's 2019-20 campaign began on Sept. 20. The league halted play on March 12 and canceled the rest of the schedule six days later amid the COVID-19 outbreak.