Rumor: NHL has chosen its 2 “hub cities” for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

For weeks and weeks now all we have heard about as hockey fans has been about the National Hockey League's plans to resume the 2019 - 2020 NHL season, and more specifically the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Fans of course want to see a champion crowned for this season but as more and more time has passed the frustration in the hockey community has become palpable, leading to even more frustration as more and more delays have been announced. 

This week may have been the week where we finally turned the corner however as good news began to filter in from across the league as NHL teams actually began to open up their facilities once again. The league's respective organizations began to allow players in small groups access to their facilities for volunteer workouts, the first real step towards a return to play for the NHL, and now we have more good news on the horizon as it appears the NHL has selected the two cities that will host the playoffs this year. 

News first broke yesterday when the Las Vegas Review Journal reported that Vegas had, unofficially of course, been selected as one of the host cities. From that report:

The NHL will announce June 22 whether Las Vegas will be a hub city to host the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, according to a source familiar with the planning process.

Until then, MGM Resorts International plans to keep some hotels not currently open to the public off the market so that one or more could be available to host visiting teams after July 1.

That would appear to lock up Vegas as one of two "hub cities" for the NHL's planned 24 team playoff format, but that of course leaves a second city to be selected. Well Sportsnet's National Hockey League insider Chris Johnston confirmed the report from the Las Vegas Review Journal late on Friday evening before adding that he believes the NHL has also picked its second location. According to Johnston the league will announce Toronto as the second hub city for the event and are currently waiting on a proclamation from the Canadian government to make it official.

From Johnston:

Ideally, the NHL would like to have a Canadian city serve as a hub alongside Vegas, but that won’t be finalized until the federal government makes a ruling. Toronto is the preferred destination, assuming the quarantine issue can be managed.

Johnston also expects the announcements will come prior to the June 22nd date suggested by the Review Journal, although nothing has been made official just yet.