Even in the midst of surging cases of COVID-19 across the U.S., the NHL isn't straying from its initial “Return To Play” plan — with full training camps slated to get underway on July 10.
Beyond that, Phase 4 — the return of scheduled games and the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs — lies just a few weeks beyond training camp, with July 30 tossed around as a potential starting date for the transition toward live hockey games for the first time in months.
That’s all well and good — if not a bit optimistic — but one rather sizable hurdle remains a little over a month out from a resumption of play.
Where exactly are these 24 teams going when the league gives the green light to drop the puck once again this year?
Even though the NHL announced last month its plan to funnel its remaining clubs to a pair of neutral-site “hub cities” to close out the season, we still haven’t received much in terms of official word on where the Bruins and many other clubs will be packing their bags for in a little over a month.
On Tuesday afternoon, we did receive a bit of additional clarity as the league looks to make an official call in the coming days — with Pierre LeBrun reporting that the league had narrowed the list of “hub city” candidates down to just six remaining locations:
- Chicago
- Edmonton
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Toronto
- Vancouver
Columbus and Minneapolis/St. Paul were both taken out of the running on Monday, while the NHL also ruled out Pittsburgh and Dallas on Tuesday.
With multiple venues still likely in the running, the NHL has plenty of factors to juggle in the coming days when it comes to assessing these sites — whether it be available ice, game locations, lodging, entertainment for players and most importantly, health and safety.
Here’s a look at the six hub cities that the NHL is still considering, and the case each location makes for hosting playoff hockey in the coming weeks.
LAS VEGAS
A frontrunner throughout this vetting process, Vegas seems to still be the odds-on favorite if the NHL opts to have at least one hub city in the U.S. In fact, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported earlier this month that the NHL was preparing to pick Sin City as a location — with MGM Resorts International planning on keeping some hotels off-limits from the general populace in order to keep them available for NHL clubs.
At first glance, Vegas does make plenty of sense for both the NHL and its players — all of whom are likely going to be stuck in a “bubble” environment for months once Phase 4 gets underway. Along with the ample amount of hotel rooms available in such a small area — many of which are within walking distance of T-Mobile Arena — there are plenty of entertainment options available (golf courses, restaurants, etc.) to keep players entertained during these lockdown conditions.
Even if Las Vegas isn’t exactly a hockey hotbed, T-Mobile Arena is regarded as one of the top facilities in the NHL, while other venues such as City National Arena in Summerlin and two other rinks can be utilized across the metro area.
Still, even if players might be game for spending a few months in Sin City, it’s tough to ignore the rising number of cases of COVID-19 sprouting up in Nevada and across the Southwestern U.S.
While the expectation is for players to be completely sealed off once Phase 4 gets underway, the concerns of ramping up play in a COVID-19 hotspot still can (and should) create some reservations for both the league and players
Ultimately, from a strictly safety standpoint, the NHL’s best bet would likely be to host both hubs north of the border up in Canada. However, if the NHL can successfully pitch to the NHLPA that the “bubble” environment can be easily managed — and sealed off from the rest of the population — odds are that the league opts to set up one of its camps just off The Strip.
EDMONTON
Sure, it may not have the flash and panache that Vegas or even a city like Vancouver boasts, but don't sleep on Edmonton and what this venue could provide the NHL in terms of suitable venues and above all else — safety.
Had this been just a month or so ago, just about any Canadian city was seemingly going to be on the outside looking in at a realistic shot at securing a bid from the NHL — given the federal government's strict protocols in terms of travel, mandatory quarantines and caps on gatherings. However, the door was opened last week for the NHL to circumvent these guidelines, as the government issued an order in council last week that would pave the way for at least one of Edmonton, Toronto or Vancouver to earn a spot as a hub city by allowing the NHL to bypass the mandatory 14-day quarantine.
When compared to Las Vegas and the rising number of COVID-19 cases (a record 462 confirmed cases in a single day were reported on Tuesday), Alberta's metrics are more promising — with the province reporting 45 new cases on Tuesday and 532 active cases in general.
When it comes to offering the best facilities to ensure a smooth return to play, Edmonton very well could be the leader in the clubhouse — headlined by the Oilers' venue in Rogers Place. A state-of-the-art venue opened in 2016, Rogers Place is regarded as one of the top facilities in the NHL, and holds a pair of home-team locker rooms — given that both the Oilers and the WHL's Oil Kings host games at the rink. Add in four other locker rooms (two regular visiting locker rooms, two auxiliary locker rooms), the attached Downtown Community Arena with additional ice and locker-room amenities and a connected 5-star JW Marriott hotel complex that would allow players to move to and from the rink without leaving a "bubble", and this spot seems like a no-brainer.
While additional staff and personnel would likely have to be relegated to other hotels given that the JW Marriott does not have the capacity to take on all 12 teams that would be heading up to Alberta for playoff hockey, the only other potential "issue" beside the looming threat of COVID-19 is the amenities present to keep these players entertained for months of lockdown living.
However, it appears as though Edmonton has already thought this one through, with TSN's Ryan Rishaug reporting that Edmonton's bid included the set-up of an "Olympic Village" setting near the rink/arena with multiple entertainment options, dedicated days for NHL personnel to hit the links and even "vacation experiences" in which players and their families could reunite and visit areas such as Banff National Park.
https://twitter.com/jkenney/status/1275133805880197120
Not too shabby. Even if it doesn't necessarily have the appeal of other top cities across North America, it's pretty evident that Edmonton has thought this one through — and makes a pretty compelling argument for earning that sought-after bid.
VANCOUVER
What's not to like about a venue like this? While I haven't had the pleasure of visiting Vancouver in the summer, just about everyone I know that has visited British Columbia's largest city around this time of year offers nothing but rave reviews of their trek.
Of course, pleasant weather is way, waaaaaay down the list when it comes to why Vancouver is considered one of the favorites as a "hub city" destination next month. From a health perspective, Vancouver is even safer than the promising metrics found just east in Alberta, with the entire province of B.C. reporting just 13 new COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday.
Even if the Canucks' home venue, Rogers Arena, isn't nearly as streamlined or advanced as Rogers Place in Edmonton, Vancouver itself offers multiple venues for the NHL to utilize. Along with the Canucks' regular rink, the NHL can also make use of the University of British Columbia's Thunderbird Sports Centre and its numerous sheets of ice, while the Canucks' practice venue in 2019-20, the Burnaby 8 Rinks, could also come in handy.
As far as accommodations go, Vancouver is similar to Edmonton in that a 5-star JW Marriott Hotel — JW Marriott Parq Vancouver — is very close to its city's primary rink. This stands as the logical spot for the NHL to set up its "bubble" for players, with Pierre LeBrun noting that the Parq hotel would feature a "30,000 square-foot outdoor space/deck/patio for the players" which includes a restaurant and other venues.
Now, while the venue itself is likely desirable to many NHLers that will be cooped up for months later this summer, things can change in a hurry during the time of COVID-19. Even though B.C. is regarded as one of the safest spots available for the NHL, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman noted Wednesday afternoon that Vancouver might have hit a snag in its bid process, with quarantine restrictions, even with the order in council, causing a few headaches.
TORONTO
While it may not have as much momentum as both Edmonton and Vancouver, it's not entirely unexpected that Toronto — Canada's most populated city — remains in the running here. The city itself is no stranger to hosting large events, including the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, with the city offering multiple rinks and venues beyond the Maple Leafs' home barn at Scotiabank Arena.
Some of the concerns involving Toronto center around the challenge of maintaining a "bubble" environment in a sprawling metropolis, although Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment has apparently countered such sentiment by proposing a 40-acre site for personnel on the Canadian National Exhibition grounds — away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Toronto.
Ultimately, Toronto is likely viewed as more of a back-up option up north, although the NHL could opt to have at least one hub city in an Eastern time zone, especially if Vegas or another spot is handed the other bid. Ultimately, I feel as though that won't factor too much into the NHL's final decision. Given that ticket sales no longer factor into the NHL's decision making this season, expect plenty of games out west to take place earlier in the day — setting the stage for the usual 7:00-8:00 p.m. puck drop on the East Coast.
LOS ANGELES
L.A. and its surrounding cities (Anaheim, for example) make plenty of sense when it comes to hosting major sporting tournaments, especially given the number of 5-star hotels and other venues located close to the Kings' home rink at the Staples Center. Still, I'm not sure that Los Angeles is going to be overtaking Las Vegas as the NHL's preferred venue in the US before a decision is made, while a growing number of COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County isn't helping out their chances of a winning bid, to say the least.
CHICAGO
A bit of a surprise in the top six, Chicago seems more like a back-up option at this point for the NHL. While the Chicago area has the United Center and multiple other venues to accommodate teams, it remains to be seen where exactly the league could set up a "bubble" location in such a densely populated city, with many of Chicago's five-star hotels located closer to the downtown area and the Loop — rather than the United Center's location in the Near West Side.