If the NHL’s 24-team postseason does take place this summer, then the Western Conference teams will play in Edmonton, and the Eastern Conference teams will play in Toronto.
On Wednesday afternoon, Sportsnet’s Bob McKenzie reported that the NHL has FINALLY made a decision regarding their two hub cities for the potential 2020 postseason. According to McKenzie, Edmonton is set to host the Western Conference playoff teams, while Toronto will serve as host for the Eastern Conference. This news will not sit well with the Chicago Blackhawks, as they now face a tremendous disadvantage having to face the Edmonton Oilers on their home ice.
While no fans will be in attendance for the NHL’s postseason, Edmonton still has the advantage of playing at Rogers Place 41 games a year, which could give their players an edge on the ice and along the boards. It is certainly interesting to hear that the league will allow both Edmonton and Toronto to play in their home cities rather than simply swapping the two conferences.
Chicago came up just short of being one of the NHL’s two hubs, but in the end, the decision likely came down to Canada’s overall lower number of COVID-19 cases. After being the American hub city favorite for nearly a month, Las Vegas fell out of contention a few days ago due to a rapid surge of cases in the last two weeks. The United States as a whole is currently seeing an enormous second spike, which is starting to put this entire return-to-play plan in serious jeopardy. Every day more and more players seem to be either testing positive or speaking out against returning this summer, so it could be only a matter of time before this whole thing gets canceled.
If not, the Blackhawks are set to open their formal training camp on July 10 at Fifth Third Arena in Chicago. Training camp will last around two weeks, with the Hawks scheduled to arrive in Edmonton on either July 23 or July 24. There, the team will play one exhibition game before the play-in series begins on July 30.
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