Federal government clears path for NHL to have hub city in Canada: report

A federal official told The Canadian Press on Thursday that the government issued an order in council that would allow one of Vancouver, Edmonton or Toronto to serve as one of the NHL's two hub cities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Move would allow league to bypass 14-day quarantine for anyone entering country

The Canadian Press · Posted: Jun 18, 2020 9:35 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 19, 2020

A pedestrian walks outside Rogers Place, home of the Edmonton Oilers. The federal government has made a move to aid the three Canadian markets — Edmonton, Toronto, Vancouver — in their bid to become a hub city for the National Hockey League's resumption. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)

The federal government has made a move to try to help one of three Canadian markets become a hub city for the National Hockey League's resumption of play.

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The official was granted anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the order publicly.

The order is awaiting the Governor General's signature.

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'Canada is open to it': Trudeau on NHL hub city

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government is comfortable with the NHL moving forward and operating a hub city in Canada as long as it's allowed by local health authorities.

Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marco Mendicino has issued a letter saying it's in the national interest to have a Canadian hub after the Public Health Agency of Canada and the public health authorities in Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver all gave their approval of the NHL's plan to keep players separate from the general public.

It would be called a cohort quarantine.

The move would allow the NHL to bypass the traditional 14-day quarantine for anyone entering Canada.

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The NHL had to present a plan that met public health requirements for Canada before the government proceeded with the order.

Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and Minneapolis/St. Paul are in the running to be hub cities.

The NHL plans to start training camps for the 24 remaining teams on July 10 and hopes to resume play later in the summer.

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