The NHL return to play agreement with the NHLPA was a hard enough hurdle to get through, but now after confirmation, the NHL passed another one, getting clearance from each province to start the season in Canada. It was reported by TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun with a quote from Bill Daly, the NHL’s Deputy Commissioner.
The provinces had convened on Monday after receiving the proposal from the league to discuss the scenario and possible outcomes. There was a great deal of hesitation and most provinces initially rejected the idea due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of cases due to the second wave.
TSN’s Frank Seravalli wrote a piece on Wednesday, basically explaining what it would take to get the clearance from all five provinces as well as the approval from the National Hockey League. As such, it involves additional testing, and there were plenty of concerns regarding travel, which is one of the big road blocks, particularly cited by British Columbia, who voiced to the league that this issue was at the forefront.
But now, with this agreement in place, it saves the NHL from the other two options, which would either involve another protected environment or potentially relocating all seven teams to the United States to open the season. The players were not too keen on either potential scenario.
It took a couple days to confirm everything with the federal government and five provinces, but on Christmas day, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports confirmed it, breaking the news mid-day Friday afternoon.
The NHL kicks off on January 13th, with training camps opening on December 31st. That’s for the seven non-playoff teams, who have yet to practice since the end of last season. The other clubs will have 10 days as they open their doors on the third of January.