NHL Wants Border Decision From Canadian Government by June 1
May 14, 2021 ctn_admin
The National Hockey League has asked the Trudeau government for a decision by June 1 about whether U.S. teams can cross the Canadian border during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, ESPN reported today (May 14).
The Canadian teams played only against each other during the 2020-21 season in a revamped NHL North Division because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that will continue during the first two rounds of the playoffs. It’s what happens after that — in the semifinals and finals — that’s not clear.
“The conversations are ongoing. We’ve told them we really do need to know by the end of the first round, and that’s around June 1,” Steve Mayer, the league’s chief content officer, told ESPN. “That’s pretty much the date that we’ve talked to them about, saying we have to know one way or another.”
Reuters reports that, under current rules, American-based teams couldn’t play in Canada without mandatory quarantines, which would make travel for home-and-away games impossible under the playoff calendar.
The NHL and representatives of the Justin Trudeau government in Ottawa last spoke a week ago, and it’s said that Canadian officials submitted a variety of questions for the league to consider.
In the interim, Mayer said, the league has discussed the possibility of the Canadian team that advances from the North Division being based in the U.S. for the duration of the postseason, which would be a big disadvantage for the Canadian side. Talks have taken place with officials at NHL arenas where teams didn’t qualify for the playoffs, Reuters said.
An NHL source told ESPN this week that the league expects “a positive resolution” to the issue, however.
The current U.S.-Canada border closure is set to expire May 21. NHL playoffs begin next week. In the North Division, the Toronto Maple Leafs will face the Montreal Canadiens in the first round, while tge Winnipeg Jets will tangle with the Edmonton Oilers.
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