The NHL has been evaluating options for "hub cities" in hopes of having centralized sites for the 2019-20 playoffs, and two Canadian markets have emerged as the frontrunners.
According to multiple reports, the NHL is on the verge of announcing Toronto and Edmonton as hub cities, contingent upon a return-to-play agreement between the league and the NHLPA.
Barring any last-minute complications, and we have seen some of those (Vancouver and Las Vegas), the two NHL Hub cities will be Edmonton and Toronto. 🇨🇦
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) July 1, 2020
The NHL had been considering several candidates for hub city locations, including Vancouver, Las Vegas, Chicago and Los Angeles. But last week, the Canucks announced Vancouver was out of the running. Then earlier this week, reports surfaced that Los Angeles was no longer an option. Las Vegas had been considered a strong candidate, but Nevada has seen a recent spike in coronavirus cases.
When the idea of "hub cities" was first presented, NHL senior executive vice president and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell explained the criteria needed to be a "hub city" in an interview with Sportsnet.
"They need four dressing rooms inside those arenas to play the number of games they need to play each day," Campbell said. "The hotels need to be adequate and what our players need."
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman recently told Ron MacLean that college arenas, which were among the early ideas, were out because of the lack of infrastructure needed to house multiple teams. “Whether it's multiple locker rooms, whether it’s the technology, the procedures, the boards and glass, the video replay, the broadcasting facilities. Those are the things that are in place in NHL arenas and that’s what we’re going to ultimately need if we’re going to come back in a centralized basis and play multiple games a day,” Bettman said.
Another key component is the amount of confirmed positive COVID-19 cases present in each market. As of June 30, Canada has more than 104,000 confirmed cases, with the vast majority of those being in Quebec and Ontario, according to the Canadian government.
Here's a breakdown of the Toronto and Edmonton markets.
Edmonton
According to the government of Alberta, the Edmonton zone has 1,028 confirmed cases as of June 30.
Back on May 1, Edmonton mayor Don Iveson said the city would be open to the idea of hosting NHL games, and TSN's Ryan Rishaug reported that Alberta Health Services is open to working with the Edmonton Oilers in the logistics of hosting games.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney told Rishaug in a May 21 interview that the Oilers' facilities, nearby hotels and small number of COVID-19 cases in Edmonton make them a leading candidate to be a "hub city."
"There is no safer place in North America to do this than Edmonton," Kenney told TSN. "Edmonton has the lowest level of COVID-19 infections of any major city in North America, certainly lower than any other NHL city.
"And plus, the [Oilers'] facility is like it was purpose-built for this strange scenario. You have the most modern, newest, high-tech rink ink the NHL, which was voted the second-best surface by the NHLPA. They voted it as the best visitor team experience in the entire league. And attached to it is another NHL-sized ice surface in the community tink. All of this is an enclosed area, attached to a brand new five-star hotel, and another hotel, between them 650 rooms.
"I just cannot imagine any other city having that perfect purpose-built infrastructure to support the league."
On Wednesday, Rishaug tweeted information about the venues in Edmonton, saying Rogers Place, the Downtown Community Arena and the four playing areas at Terwillegar Rec Centre would be utilized.
Additionally, can report that the 6 required ice surfaces will be Rogers Place, the Downtown Community Arena, and the 4 surfaces at the Terwillegar Rec Centre (which will require bussing)
— Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) July 1, 2020
Toronto
According to local officials, Toronto has 14,320 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of June 29.
The city has experience hosting multiple teams for a tournament after staging the 2016 World Cup of Hockey — when it housed eight teams and their equipment.
While Ontario has been hit hard by COVID-19, the numerous hotels and rinks in the area make Toronto one of the frontrunners to be a hub city. On March 31, the city of Toronto banned all public events until June 30. It was clarified by mayor John Tory that the ban didn't include sporting events.
Toronto has the infrastructure to be a hub city, such as having four sheets of ice for practice, but it'll likely come down to health factors in the region.
Last week, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported that MLSE resubmitted its bid, including the possibility of utilizing a 40-acre complex at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds.