NHL pares down hub city shortlist; three Canadian sites still in the running

SPORTS

NHL pares down hub city shortlist; three Canadian sites still in the running

Published Monday, June 22, 2020 2:39PM EDT

In this Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020, file photo, fans pose below the NHL league logo at a display outside Falcon Stadium before an NHL Stadium Series outdoor hockey game between the Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche, at Air Force Academy, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

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The NHL has begun winnowing its possible locations to resume the season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but all three potential Canadian cities are still in the running.

The Blue Jackets were informed Monday that Columbus will not be one of the NHL's hub cities. Columbus was one of 10 finalists, including seven in the U.S.

Las Vegas is now considered the U.S. favourite to host NHL playoff games, unless two Canadian cities are selected. Canada's federal government last week said it would allow the league to quarantine internally, making Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton realistic possibilities -- if not the front-runners.

The NHL has said it will select two hub cities -- one for the Eastern Conference playoffs and one for the Western Conference. The Stanley Cup Final or "final four" would likely be in one of the two cities.