NHL’s focus shifts to Canadian cities as possible playoff hubs

Lightning close facilities after several test positive

Canada has approved the NHL’s return-to-play proposal that could lead to one or more cities north of the border serving as host sites for the league’s 24-team playoff format.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland announced Friday that the nation’s top public health officer, and health officials in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario had signed off on the NHL plan.

The decision followed discussions with government health officials, and comes as the league enters the advanced stages of selecting its hub cities — most likely two — from a list of seven in the U.S. and three in Canada, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly wrote in an email to The Associated

Press.

Daly didn’t rule out the possibility of two hubs being located in Canada from among Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton.

The NHL, however, did encounter a setback in its bid to resume playing since the season was paused on March 12.

The Tampa Bay Lightning closed their facilities indefinitely Thursday after three players and “additional staff members” tested positive for COVID-19. The team said the players were largely asymptomatic and were self-isolating.

The move came as baseball’s Philadelphia Phillies announced that some of their players and staff had tested positive in nearby

Clearwater, Florida, and the Toronto Blue Jays had one player show symptoms consistent with the coronavirus in nearby Dunedin, Florida.

The NHL announced late Friday that 11 of the 200 players tested since training facilities were allowed to open on June 8 have tested positive. They are self isolating. The league declined to say who.

Two weeks ago, NHL players were allowed to return to their respective facilities for voluntary onand off-ice workouts. Players were allowed to skate in groups of up to six at a time.

The NHL’s return-to-play plan approved by Canada required an exemption allowing players and team officials to cross the bor

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