Decision on NHL Resume to Play hub cities weeks away

Since the NHL moves towards resuming play this summer, the league has to first narrow down the list of hub cities.

Last week, when Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the NHL’s Return to Play plan, he noted 10 cities in Canada and the U.S. are under consideration.

First, here is the list of the 10 cities in the running:

• Chicago, IL

• Columbus, OH

• Dallas, TX

• Edmonton, AB

• Las Vegas, NV

• Los Angeles, CA

• Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN

• Pittsburgh, PA

• Toronto, ON

• Vancouver, BC

To play host, a hub city must have secure hotels, good transportation, and facilities for games and practices. And the most important is that there will need to be low COVID-19 case rates, have the availability for mass testing and cooperation from local government.

The three cities of Canada face the biggest challenges since the government has a mandatory 14-day quarantine period of time for anyone entering the country. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday that discussions are on-going between public health officials and the NHL.

Meanwhile, Las Vegas of the US has emerged as a favorite. Nevada is about to enter Phase Two this week, with casinos  and businesses set to reopen. That is a huge boost for the city’s opportunities given the amount of available hotels. The lack of ice sheets compared to other cities can be helped by the installation of additional surfaces. Moreover, the total package is a reason why the Cup Final and conference finals could also take place there.

However, host cities with a team involved may not get to root them on. The NHL may put them in the other hub city or the players would have to follow the NHL’s guidelines if they do stay home.  

The league is expected to move into Phase 2 this week with small groups of players doing voluntary non-contact skating and off-ice training. The next step might be training camps opening up no earlier than July 10 and a possible returning of the season by early August.