On Thursday, multiple reports confirmed that the NHL's seven Canadian teams might have to play in the United States to start the upcoming season due to restrictions amid surging COVID-19 cases, meaning the proposed all-Canadian division could get the axe.
However, Lisa MacLeod, Ontario’s Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture, confirmed to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun on Friday that she is in talks with the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs with the hope of keeping those teams in Canada for 2020-21.
The problem the NHL seems to be having is getting approval from various health authorities in Canada.
“I had a good conversation with the Leafs and the Senators this morning,” MacLeod said. “I think the option that they would prefer is to have the Canadian division. The complications with that are you’re not just dealing with provincial health units, you’re also dealing with the local municipalities, and their health units.
“In Ottawa and Toronto, we’re dealing with the local public health units, but at the same time, the chief medical health officer of Ontario. The same thing would happen with Calgary and the other provinces. The preference would be to have that division and we’re going to continue to work with them.”
Getting health units in Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, British Columbia and Quebec as well as the seven cities on the same page is one of the major hurdles to get over, says MacLeod.
“If one Canadian city was unable to proceed then that would probably be a game-changer for an all-Canadian division,” MacLeod said. “It’s important that we all understand where everybody else is at. That’s kind of an important conversation. For example, if six of the seven teams were in agreement, but the seventh wasn’t, that’s a concern for the league.”
The fact COVID-19 cases are at an all-time high in Ontario and across most of Canada could make things more complex, says MacLeod.
“We’re now in a very different period with COVID-19 with the second wave coming on far stronger than the first. The other challenge is, just even within Ontario, Ottawa’s public health unit is in orange while Toronto is grey lockdown. It’s very complex when you’re dealing with all the public health units," she said. “We’re going to continue the dialogue with them but, again, the health and safety of Ontarians is our No. 1 concern, especially with the second wave coming on very strong.”
Furthermore, the NHL has had discussions with Edmonton over the past several weeks to extend the city's role as a hockey hub, according to a report from TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger on Friday. Dreger added there is no official plan to use Edmonton but the city is ready if needed. Dreger also said Toronto is under consideration by the league.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMidWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRzbi5jYS9vbnRhcmlvLWhvcGluZy10by1rZWVwLW90dGF3YS1zZW5hdG9ycy10b3JvbnRvLW1hcGxlLWxlYWZzLWluLWNhbmFkYS1mb3ItdXBjb21pbmctc2Vhc29uLTEuMTU2NjA0NtIBfWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRzbi5jYS9vbnRhcmlvLWhvcGluZy10by1rZWVwLW90dGF3YS1zZW5hdG9ycy10b3JvbnRvLW1hcGxlLWxlYWZzLWluLWNhbmFkYS1mb3ItdXBjb21pbmctc2Vhc29uLTEuMTU2NjA0Nj90c24tYW1w?oc=5
2020-12-18 18:18:39Z
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