McKenzie: NHL narrows hub cities down, official announcement to come today

This just in from TSN hockey insider Bob McKenzie, the NHL has reportedly narrowed down its list of hub cities to Las Vegas, Edmonton, Toronto and Chicago with an official announcement on the two locations to come later today.

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Is today the day we find out NHL Hub cities? Perhaps, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the delay is because the NHL and NHLPA are trying to finalize all the Phase 4 protocols/terms before making any announcements.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 30, 2020

EDM, TOR, LV and CHI appear to be the final considerations.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 30, 2020

Vancouver, of course, recused themselves from the running after finding the NHL’s demands too difficult to reconcile. Which is ironic considering that Vancouver has handled the COVID-19 pandemic better than any of the other available options. Interestingly enough, McKenzie is also reporting that Edmonton seems to have emerged as a bit of a frontrunner, surpassing Toronto in recent days. Las Vegas seems to have a lock as a hub city, as well.

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Hub city talk aside — anecdotally, BTW, there’s been an uptick in EDM chatter— today is a critical one for NHL/NHLPA negotiations on RTP and CBA. Still unclear whether July 1 signing bonuses will be paid out tomorrow as scheduled or deferred to a later date.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 30, 2020

Expect an official announcement from the NHL at some point today.