Toronto is still in the running to become one of the NHL's hub cities for when gameplay finally resumes, and it seems there have been some recent tweaks to our bid — namely, whereabouts in the city the players might live.
The revised proposal shows that if Toronto is selected, athletes from 12 teams (of 24 playing for the cup) would live in a 40-acre campus-like village on the grounds of the Exhibition Place, rather than more centrally downtown near the Scotiabank Arena, as originally planned.
Looks like Vegas has one hub city all but seen up with Edmonton and Toronto in play for the second hub.
— Paul Almeida (@AzorcanGlobal) June 25, 2020
Everything being even I bet they go to Toronto.
As I mentioned before the broadcaster will have a say and Sportsnet is centered in TO.
The Ex grounds are a prime choice given amenities like BMO Field, the OVO Athletic Centre, Coca-Cola Coliseum and Hotel X, as well as the fact that the area is somewhat isolated from the rest of the city.
There could also be some pretty cool additions, like an outdoor movie theatre, food trucks, and more, TSN reports.
As of this week, Toronto is one of only six cities vying to serve as one of two hubs, along with Vancouver, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Las Vegas. A final announcement is expected any day now.
Tannenbaum says expect hub city decision within 48 hours, supports NHL playing out of two Canadian locations – is hopeful Toronto is one of them.
— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) June 25, 2020
“I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed. It's the most logical thing to do but unfortunately I am not in charge of that decision”
Vancouver was thought to be a forerunner due to B.C.'s extremely low COVID-19 case numbers, but sources have apparently now said that it may no longer be contending as of today.
Vegas is also considered a top pick because of its abundance of hotels and other facilities.
Depending on where those talks go with Edmonton and Toronto, LA and Chicago remain on standbye if it turns out the NHL can’t put a Hub city in Canada to go along with Vegas. But the hope is still to have a Hub city in Canada if possible. And meanwhile, time is of the essence!
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 25, 2020
The league has indicated interest in having a bubble in Canada if possible, and Prime Minister Trudeau has endorsed the idea.
Given the fact that Toronto is the only Eastern Conference city in the running and the home of broadcasters like Sportsnet, it seems likely that it could be selected. (Plus Edmonton's promotion video for the cause hasn't exactly been getting the desired reaction.)
While some residents are excited at the prospect, others are concerned about an influx of players from other parts of the continent potentially worsening the threat of COVID-19 while our numbers are trending downward and things are finally opening up again.
Add in the likelihood of Toronto being selected as a hub city to host 12 NHL Eastern Conference teams and this makes even less sense. https://t.co/vWpdu35bhS
— Justin Havelock (@HavelockJustin) June 25, 2020
Training camps are beginning on July 10 despite a number of players in the league testing positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks — including Leafs player Auston Matthews — while playoff games are slated to start sometime in August after the league was shut down on March 12 due to the pandemic.
by Becky Robertson via blogTO
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