Toronto, Vancouver or Edmonton?

[Maple Leaf]

Should move to a city that no one goes to like Regina

 

[Nineteen67]

The NHL doesn’t want teams playing in their own city, according to a report I heard on the radio.
Does that mean the Leafs could play some games starting at 9 or 10 eastern?

 

[ACC1224]

The NHL doesn’t want teams playing in their own city, according to a report I heard on the radio.
Does that mean the Leafs could play some games starting at 9 or 10 eastern?

If that were the case why would a Team want to be one of the host cities?
Eastern Teams playing in the West seems like a really bad idea.

 

[Golden_Jet]

If that were the case why would a Team want to be one of the host cities?
Eastern Teams playing in the West seems like a really bad idea.

Whether your a host city or not, the preference is to play in a different hub. Generates money for the city.

 

[ACC1224]

Whether your a host city or not, the preference is to play in a different hub. Generates money for the city.

Sorry, I don't follow. If Toronto is a hub, how would they generate more money by the Leafs playing elsewhere?

 

[Nineteen67]

If that were the case why would a Team want to be one of the host cities?
Eastern Teams playing in the West seems like a really bad idea.

Don’t know. That’s what they said on the sports breaks on the Fan590 this AM. They also said the NFL season was in jeopardy based on some guy on CNN quoting Fauci....so there’s that.

 

[ACC1224]

Don’t know. That’s what they said on the sports breaks on the Fan590 this AM. They also said the NFL season was in jeopardy based on some guy on CNN quoting Fauci....so there’s that.

Don't even go there. That would be devastating.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

The NHL doesn’t want teams playing in their own city, according to a report I heard on the radio.
Does that mean the Leafs could play some games starting at 9 or 10 eastern?

I have heard this too but it makes zero sense to me. Why would TV contract holders ever go for this? Eastern teams playing late games out west is bad for TV ratings. I mean crazies like me stay up but most won't. They will lose some of their numbers. I don't get it. I hope they pick Chicago so it is only 1 hour time change. But I can't see both Vegas and Edmonton winning HUB city honours. At 3 games per day we are gonna have games all hours of day but i think if our leafs get a 9 am game in Edmonton starting at 12 noon here people will find out what happened and when they put game on a 7 pm EST on TV people don't watch when they know result. The whole thing won't work.

 

[ACC1224]

I have heard this too but it makes zero sense to me. Why would TV contract holders ever go for this? Eastern teams playing late games out west is bad for TV ratings. I mean crazies like me stay up but most won't. They will lose some of their numbers. I don't get it. I hope they pick Chicago so it is only 1 hour time change. But I can't see both Vegas and Edmonton winning HUB city honours. At 3 games per day we are gonna have games all hours of day but i think if our leafs get a 9 am game in Edmonton starting at 12 noon here people will find out what happened and when they put game on a 7 pm EST on TV people don't watch when they know result. The whole thing won't work.

Makes no sense to me either and it would be unfair to expect players to play a playoff game in the morning.
Afternoon games are unfair enough to the Teams that don't regularly get them.

 

[Slot]

The NHL doesn’t want teams playing in their own city, according to a report I heard on the radio.
Does that mean the Leafs could play some games starting at 9 or 10 eastern?

Considering the NHL told Vegas that they would be playing in Vegas this line of thinking by 590 seems odd.

 

[theaub]

I don't think having the East in a West hub will be a problem - you just play the games earlier. Also we know the TV will dictate the schedules so the big draw teams (Leafs, Pens etc) will play the "late" game that will start in primetime on the East Coast.

The flipside of having the West here will be an issue though, since Scotiabank has a curfew so you can't play games that start at 10 PM local or anything like that. Which is what leads me to believe that they will have to stick with the same geographical regions for hubs.

 

[nonikhanna]

If Toronto is a playoff hub city... the cup might be won by a team in Toronto

 

[Nineteen67]

Don't even go there. That would be devastating.

It’s Fauci so just do the opposite of what he says.

 

[Nineteen67]

I have heard this too but it makes zero sense to me. Why would TV contract holders ever go for this? Eastern teams playing late games out west is bad for TV ratings. I mean crazies like me stay up but most won't. They will lose some of their numbers. I don't get it. I hope they pick Chicago so it is only 1 hour time change. But I can't see both Vegas and Edmonton winning HUB city honours. At 3 games per day we are gonna have games all hours of day but i think if our leafs get a 9 am game in Edmonton starting at 12 noon here people will find out what happened and when they put game on a 7 pm EST on TV people don't watch when they know result. The whole thing won't work.

I agree. TV needs the Toronto and Montreal markets or this all a complete waste of time.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

I agree. TV needs the Toronto and Montreal markets or this all a complete waste of time.

Agreed 22M out of 37M in Canada in Ont/PQ means terrible TV numbers if it is out west ... must be some kinda smoke screen to keep Edmontonians hopeful

 

[Golden_Jet]

I wonder if the league is having second thoughts on Vegas.

 

[PromisedLand]

I'd like it to be Toronto; but I am gonna guess its going to be in Alberta (Calgary or Edmonton); because Alberta seems to have handled the COVID situation better than other big provinces (ON, QC and BC)

EDIT: Changing my vote to BC; seems like they have covid situation under control better than other big provinces.

 

[PromisedLand]

Agreed 22M out of 37M in Canada in Ont/PQ means terrible TV numbers if it is out west ... must be some kinda smoke screen to keep Edmontonians hopeful

They may have eastern conference games such that it is 7 pm EST; and then later western conference games

 

[JT AM da real deal]

They may have eastern conference games such that it is 7 pm EST; and then later western conference games

12 eastern conference teams are playing ... i heard 3 games a day was required to make a 3.5 month schedule work ... everyone can't play at 7 pm EST (or 4 pm in west) ... so most teams are going too have either 9 AM starts PST (or 12 noon EST) or 8 PM starts PST (or 11 pm EST) which sucks in every way for both players and fans .. I still don't get it ... makes no sense

 

[theaub]

12 eastern conference teams are playing ... i heard 3 games a day was required to make a 3.5 month schedule work ... everyone can't play at 7 pm EST (or 4 pm in west) ... so most teams are going too have either 9 AM starts PST (or 12 noon EST) or 8 PM starts PST (or 11 pm EST) which sucks in every way for both players and fans .. I still don't get it ... makes no sense

They can't really avoid that though. Its similar to MLB playoffs where the trash TV markets get the crappy afternoon slots.

If they do an East/West hub and keep it correct geographically (ie Vegas plays in Vegas), you can have games start at 12/4/8 local times and more or less have continuous hockey.

The alternative is they bring in a second ice sheet but that's going to be tougher to do in Toronto if they want to keep the bubble. Not sure if Edmonton/Vancouver are better equipped.

 

[BruinsBtn]

Edmonton is the safest and I don't want hockey derailed because of a bigger outbreak.

Too bad if all the players can't stay in an ultra-fancy hotel. After the play-in round, there will be plenty of room in the nice hotel.

 

[BruinsBtn]

Toronto makes by far the most sense.

Its an east coast time zone plus is thr media capital of the country. It would be the least disruptive location.

East coast is a disadvantage because West coast teams would be playing games potentially at midnight.

 

[Golden_Jet]

They can't really avoid that though. Its similar to MLB playoffs where the trash TV markets get the crappy afternoon slots.

If they do an East/West hub and keep it correct geographically (ie Vegas plays in Vegas), you can have games start at 12/4/8 local times and more or less have continuous hockey.

The alternative is they bring in a second ice sheet but that's going to be tougher to do in Toronto if they want to keep the bubble. Not sure if Edmonton/Vancouver are better equipped.

They need 2 ice pads in case of OT, 1 game at one and 2 at the other

 

[ACC1224]

Why can't West Coast teams play in the West and East Coast teams play in the East?

 

[Golden_Jet]

So players don’t complain about it