Report: NHL Canadian hub city down to Edmonton vs. Toronto in close race
The NHL season could resume as early as next month, but the league needs to make a decision on its two hub cities before they announce any other major details.
According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, that decision could come by Friday ahead of the 2020 draft lottery, and two Canadian cities are said to be in a very close race to host teams this summer.
Vancouver recently was ruled out of contention as a Canadian hub city, but Edmonton may have one of the strongest bids across the entire league.
Edmonton's ownership group really wants the season to resume at their home rink, and Oilers Entertainment Group provided details Monday about its proposal, including safety protocols and leisure activities for players, according to TSN's Ryan Rishaug.
Toronto's bid may be stronger for Eastern Conference teams, though, because it keeps them in the Eastern time zone. However, the league reportedly is looking to keep all organizations in the same time zone for the season resume, so Edmonton could potentially receive the nod over Toronto.
Of American cities in contention, Las Vegas, home of the Golden Knights, has been rumored to be a front-runner to host half of the teams returning to action.
With players currently skating in small groups ahead of the season restart, they could report for training camp at their scheduled hub cities as soon as next month, provided the league has decided to move forward with its plans.
More must-reads: