Poll: NHL coaches preferred Las Vegas, Vancouver as hub cities

The 2019-20 NHL season is set to resume this weekend in Edmonton and Toronto, but it appears a majority of coaches polled would've rather played somewhere else. 

According to a poll of coaches conducted by The Athletic, NHL coaches would've rather played in either Las Vegas or Vancouver. 

“I’m saying Vegas, but not for the glitz and glamor of Vegas. Just being able to be in a hub city and be close and have everything in close proximity,” an Eastern Conference coach said. “You could be in your hotel and have all the things you need nearby.”

Las Vegas reportedly was among front-runners to host Western Conference teams, though things probably fell through because of the rise in coronavirus cases in the United States.

Edmonton made a strong push to be the Canadian host and proposed an Olympic village-style setup for teams. Toronto also proposed an Olympic village setup, and both proposals were hard for the league to deny. 

Playing in Canada seemed like the better option, too, as the country's coronavirus cases are lower than the United States.

Games are set to resume on Saturday with the play-in round and seeding games.