Toronto and Edmonton set to be chosen as hub cities

Welcome to a hockey hashtag of Toronto and Edmonton as hub cities, COVID-19, the collective bargaining agreement (CBA), and a possible return of the National Hockey League to the Olympics.

Dual negotiations between the league and the players association about the health and safety of a 24-team playoff tournament, with Toronto and Edmonton set to host, include a collective bargaining extension that encompasses the players desire to return to international competition.

The concession would be forgoing some salary in the murky waters of revenue at stake in the tournament and in whatever form the 202021 season takes. All of this is subject to final documentation and a key vote by players, who are already worried by returning to work in dubious pandemic circumstances. It’s expected that will be conducted by this weekend.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman tweeted Wednesday morning that — subject to approval — 10 per cent of next season’s salary could be deferred and that the league wants changes to contract structure, limits on signing bonuses and less salary fluctuation on year-to-year.

The players are looking at two major issues: giving the right for individuals to back out of the league’s Return to Play plan for the 24-team tournament amid growing COVID-19 concerns, and getting the league to bend of participation in the 2022 and 2026 Olympics, in China and Italy, respectively. The latter also means a separate dialogue with the leagie and International Olympic Committee after commissioner Gary Bettman was adamant they not go to another TV unfriendly venue in South Korea in 2018.

Late Tuesday, TSN’s Bob McKenzie also reported the expectation that player signing bonuses due Wednesday would be paid by teams as scheduled, costing more than $300 million US.

July 1 is usually the start of the league’s new fiscal year, but the season isn’t technically done. Free agents who signed recent deals can’t join their new teams until the ‘20-’21 season, which itself could be late into this calendar year depending on the playoff tournament and COVID-19.

The league is expected to finalize Toronto and Edmonton shortly, after reports earlier in the week that No. 1 U.S. contending city Las Vegas and surrounding Clark County have become too hot as COVID-19 corridors. That idea has been gaining steam for a few days as Canadian positive test numbers stabilize and even drop. Though two Canadian hubs could be a headache for plans to have American network NBC run the broadcast show, it’s just as vital for the league to have two locations that the players approve of and in different time zones so games can be spread out for TV.