Confirmed with Link: Vancouver is out as a playoff hub city

[VanJack]

Just reading the body language from Bill Daley at the draft lottery, when he was asked about the hub city decision, tells me a lot. I think the NHL is really struggling to come up with a couple of sites that balance public health safety with the likelihood of actually finishing the Stanley Cup playoffs.

And as the COVID news out of the U.S. continues to darken, the decision won't get any easier. The NBA and MLS are heading to Florida to complete their seasons, but that might end up being a horrible mistake. And Vegas has been the front-runner as an NHL hub city for some time. But the reality is, nowhere in the U.S. is safe unless you're living in Alaska or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The safest places to come would probably be Edmonton and Vancouver. I think they'd have a legitimate shot at finishing the playoffs without any positive COVID tests. But the issue has always been what happens if a single player in the bubble tests positive.

The NHL is almost in a 'damned if they do and damned if they don't' scenario wherever they go.

 

[Bubbles]

I think they'd have a legitimate shot at finishing the playoffs without any positive COVID tests.

That's unfortunately extremely unlikely to happen, when Austin Matthews, Ottawa Senators, and a bunch of Tampa Bay Lightning have already tested positive. I think the NHL teams expect to have a positive COVID case, it's just how it will be handled.

I personally believe that if any NHL player tests positive, they will try to call it an "upper body injury" and hide it...just like they've hidden injuries in the playoffs since the dawn of time.

At least we aren't playing the rest of the season like the NBA, who are contractually obligated to the TV networks to play those meaningless games. Talk about being a sport being whipped by the networks.

 

[Three On Zero]

Rumours swirling that Edmonton will be announced as a hub city, I think the NHL are dragging their feet because the cities they want are not the cities they are going to get

 

[Hockeyphysio]

Nevada just seems like a terrible idea.

 

[StreetHawk]

Rumours swirling that Edmonton will be announced as a hub city, I think the NHL are dragging their feet because the cities they want are not the cities they are going to get

NHL from appearances does not seem like they will limit players to only the hotel, arena, practice facility, and selected restaurants. They will be given permission to head into the general population. Unless they can rent out an entire facility.

Unless you compensate regular folk extremely well, I don't see restaurant, hotel, cleaning, arena personnel willing to be locked down for upwards of 10 weeks.

 

[Didalee Hed]

That's unfortunately extremely unlikely to happen, when Austin Matthews, Ottawa Senators, and a bunch of Tampa Bay Lightning have already tested positive. I think the NHL teams expect to have a positive COVID case, it's just how it will be handled.

I personally believe that if any NHL player tests positive, they will try to call it an "upper body injury" and hide it...just like they've hidden injuries in the playoffs since the dawn of time.

At least we aren't playing the rest of the season like the NBA, who are contractually obligated to the TV networks to play those meaningless games. Talk about being a sport being whipped by the networks.

The nba is playing some games, but not all. 22 I believe out of 30 teams are participating.

 

[VanJack]

Still say that if all the play-in series teams ended up in Vancouver, the players were quarantined in a bubble and all tested negative for the virus, it's far less likely they'd eventually contract the virus by playing. At least far less likely than just about any other place in N.A.

Right now the virus is out of control in Trumpland. There's isn't a really safe State or City anywhere. What good would it do to go to a place like Vegas and then have 20 percent of your players contract the virus? You'd just be inviting the cancellation of the season.

 

[604]

Still say that if all the play-in series teams ended up in Vancouver, the players were quarantined in a bubble and all tested negative for the virus, it's far less likely they'd eventually contract the virus by playing. At least far less likely than just about any other place in N.A.

Right now the virus is out of control in Trumpland. There's isn't a really safe State or City anywhere. What good would it do to go to a place like Vegas and then have 20 percent of your players contract the virus? You'd just be inviting the cancellation of the season.

I think Winnipeg would be the safest.

That being said, it's not even a consideration.

 

[archangel2]

Rumours swirling that Edmonton will be announced as a hub city, I think the NHL are dragging their feet because the cities they want are not the cities they are going to get

Yep. Edmonton, the city, the fans, the media and politicians are acting desperate to get the games and are willing to do whatever it takes. But the NHL will only go to Edmonton if they have no other choice. We are on the 29th of June and more or less we are in the same sport we were 3 months, NHL has just put on out information but with no real firm dates

 

[StreetHawk]

Yep. Edmonton, the city, the fans, the media and politicians are acting desperate to get the games and are willing to do whatever it takes. But the NHL will only go to Edmonton if they have no other choice. We are on the 29th of June and more or less we are in the same sport we were 3 months, NHL has just put on out information but with no real firm dates

Are these hub cities prepared to execute their plan with this short of notice?

that they have workers committed to come in and work? Get trained on new protocols?

NHL likely wanted sexier locations, but the goal should be to play somewhere that gives them the best shot of awarding the cup and not have teams weakened because of Covid cases.

 

[vanarchy]

I'm very happy to not be hosting it. If we're doing good, don't mess with it.

 

[RussianRacket]

This is such a mess. I do not believe the NHL season will be resuming.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

part of me wonders if they do end up going to edmonton (if they do ever get to start back up at all) whether that will be a signal to a large portion of their american fanbase and maybe to american sports fans/media in general that they are being safe.

i mean, i'm guessing the average american sports fan (or, say, chris pronger's wife) thinks hub citying in edmonton is basically the same as hub citying in alaska.

 

[StreetHawk]

part of me wonders if they do end up going to edmonton (if they do ever get to start back up at all) whether that will be a signal to a large portion of their american fanbase and maybe to american sports fans/media in general that they are being safe.

i mean, i'm guessing the average american sports fan (or, say, chris pronger's wife) thinks hub citying in edmonton is basically the same as hub citying in alaska.

Time of the year. Can understand not wanting to be in -20 degrees Celsius but in the summer time, should be no issue.

 

[rypper]

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Time of the year. Can understand not wanting to be in -20 degrees Celsius but in the summer time, should be no issue.

what i'm trying to say is, if you told the average sports fan in the USA that your league is restarting in edmonton, a fairly random place north of them in canada that they've never been to and don't know anything about, they probably think you're being super safe because to them edmonton might as well be alaska, which americans seem to be talking about as the only safe american state in continental north america.

if i were bettman that would be my most desirable PR move. look the NBA thinks it's setting up in the postapocalyptic deathscape that is florida. we're crossing las vegas and arizona, where hospitals are at negative capacity, off our list. we're starting up in... wait for it... edmonton.

 

[ziploc]

Finally Edmonton’s remoteness and lack of desirability as a travel destination are starting to pay off!

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

i mean, their football team is named after an outdated and racially offensive term for indigenous people that probably 45% of americans think are extinct and/or mythological.

virus-proof

 

[Fatass]

what i'm trying to say is, if you told the average sports fan in the USA that your league is restarting in edmonton, a fairly random place north of them in canada that they've never been to and don't know anything about, they probably think you're being super safe because to them edmonton might as well be alaska, which americans seem to be talking about as the only safe american state in continental north america.

if i were bettman that would be my most desirable PR move. look the NBA thinks it's setting up in the postapocalyptic deathscape that is florida. we're crossing las vegas and arizona, where hospitals are at negative capacity, off our list. we're starting up in... wait for it... edmonton.

In ‘77 i was pumping gas at a White Rock, BC (on the US/Canada border) location. Several times (over the one summer I was there) people driving US plated RVs (not from Washington state) asked me for directions to Alaska. They all thought Alaska was really close to the border. When I explained how big BC was, and they had at least a three day 1000 plus mile trip, they were always totally shocked. Really friendly and nice people, but they just didn’t know.
So yes, it’s easy to accept a lot of the US population might not really understand where Edmonton is.

 

[RussianRacket]

In ‘77 i was pumping gas at a White Rock, BC (on the US/Canada border) location. Several times (over the one summer I was there) people driving US plated RVs (not from Washington state) asked me for directions to Alaska. They all thought Alaska was really close to the border. When I explained how big BC was, and they had at least a three day 1000 plus mile trip, they were always totally shocked. Really friendly and nice people, but they just didn’t know.

Sadly though I think most of us have likely had interactions with Americans like that. Just no awareness of the world outside their own bubble of mythology.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

In ‘77 i was pumping gas at a White Rock, BC (on the US/Canada border) location. Several times (over the one summer I was there) people driving US plated RVs (not from Washington state) asked me for directions to Alaska. They all thought Alaska was really close to the border. When I explained how big BC was, and they had at least a three day 1000 plus mile trip, they were always totally shocked. Really friendly and nice people, but they just didn’t know.
So yes, it’s easy to accept a lot of the US population might not really understand where Edmonton is.

i mean tbf i have no idea where nebraska is except it’s nowhere near a coast


EDIT:

surely if you needed to cross Nebraska to get from Denver to Minneapolis you would check a map first

but now i’m also giggling imagining those US maps where you have the 48 states and alaska and hawaii floating off to the side, separated by a small white space.

“wait, wtf is canada?”

 

[RussianRacket]

i mean tbf i have no idea where nebraska is except it’s nowhere near a coast

surely if you needed to cross Nebraska to get from Denver to Minneapolis you would check a map first

 

[Bubbles]

but now i’m also giggling imagining those US maps where you have the 48 states and alaska and hawaii floating off to the side, separated by a small white space.

“wait, wtf is canada?”

I'll just take a ferry to Alaska/Hawaii, it's so close!

 

[Hit the post]

Finally Edmonton’s remoteness and lack of desirability as a travel destination are starting to pay off!

Even Covid doesn't want to go there.

(I'm kidding /sarcasm).

 

[Grantham]

Even Covid doesn't want to go there.

(I'm kidding /sarcasm).

Too soon!

Haha