Alberta pumps the Rockies in hub city video promo
Can a little levity go a long way?
Despite all the seriousness of proposed NHL hub city concepts in Vancouver and Edmonton — especially stringent testing and cohort quarantine bubbles — came a lighter moment courtesy of Alberta Premier Jason Kenney.
In a 64-second promotional video rolled out Monday, Kenney used the majestic Rocky Mountains to help champion the Alberta capital as one of two cities that could be named this week to host a restart of the NHL season that was paused March 12 by COVID-19.
Edmonton appears in only a few seconds of the family tourism video.
“It’s the obvious choice to bring the NHL to Edmonton,” said Kenney, knowing a successful bid would help stimulate a sagging economy.
If we concede Las Vegas as a preferred hub — and the league’s zest to name a Canadian city that has crushed the COVID-19 curve — then this Vancouver versus Edmonton thing has reached another level. Toronto, Chicago and Los Angeles are other contenders.
In the Alberta video, the following titles pop up: “Playoffs in Edmonton,” “Play in the Rockies,” “Room to Breathe,” “Kind,” “Considerate,” “Consider It Done.” Segments show lakes, waterfalls, glaciers, tours, fishing, horseback riding, golf and everyone embracing the splendour and superlative accommodations.
The pitch has nothing to do with Edmonton’s favourable arena and hotel infrastructure, but everything to do with the hope that when playoffs reach the final two rounds, there may be an adjusted quarantine concept so families can be in proximity to players.
That seems like a real reach because of current quarantine edicts.
The NHL Players’ Association has a say in where its members play, but families entering Canada from abroad are still subject to the additional 14-day quarantine period. How do you sell that to a player? How does his family enjoy the great outdoors from a hotel room after a four-hour drive from Edmonton to Jasper?
In the Vancouver hub proposal, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry stressed players and
staff must remain in 50-person cohort quarantine bubbles through duration of the post-season. No interaction with the public and no family contact — even though B.C. Premier John Horgan broached that possibility two weeks ago.
In the pitch, Horgan hoped families would stay in the same Vancouver hotel as their team and board private buses to practices, meals and other events organized by the club. They would also receive regular COVID-19 testing at the expense of the team.
“We’re promoting the family element of what B.C. provides and how that fits in the quarantine will be up to the teams to figure out,” Horgan told Postmedia News at the time. “It could be a family unit where the team takes up to three floors of a hotel and there’s no commingling with residents.”
On the surface it sounded good, but in the reality of tight bubbles and restricted movements, it wasn’t going to work. Maybe in three months, but not now. And if the courting comes to that, Vancouver can raise the family fun ante by offering up Whistler, boating and whale watching.
B.C. Tourism Minister Lisa Beare reiterated provincial health concerns on Tuesday to confirm that the modified quarantine would only “allow players to quarantine themselves as a unit.”
In the interim, there’s much to suggest that Vancouver is a serious hub contender.
The infrastructure at UBC as a practice facility has gone well past the curiosity stage and the abundance of five-star hotels in the downtown core is not lost on the league and its players.
The JW Marriott, for example, is a short walk from Rogers Arena and was host hotel for the 2019 NHL entry draft.
In the end, these boxes must be checked for a successful bid:
HEALTH EQUALS HUB CITY WEALTH
B.C. and Alberta have been champions of flattening the COVID-19 curve.
Edmonton has experienced little U.S. border traffic and has had aggressive testing. Still, the number of active cases increased in the last 10 days and five restaurants closed temporarily this week after staff and customers tested positive.
As of Monday, Alberta had 542 active cases and 245 were in Edmonton.
As of Tuesday, B.C. had only 174 active cases.
HOW SMALL IS YOUR BUBBLE?
This is the kicker. Containing games, practices and accommodations in proximity was Job No. 1 for bidders.
Vancouver has the UBC options, but that comes with transportation challenges and multiple buses and drivers to ensure physical distancing.
And are drivers included in that 50-person bubble?
The cavernous Rogers Place in Edmonton has a practice facility attached to it and the 346-room JW Marriott hotel is across the street and accessed by an overhead walkway.
That’s a big plus, but Vancouver’s broader base of five-star downtown hotels is a big boon.