The NHL is back.
Well, sort of.
Commissioner Gary Bettman made the announcement Monday of a return to play, which will see a 24-team tournament vie this summer for Lord Stanley’s Cup.
For British Columbians, the news could get even more sweeter: Vancouver has been named as one of the six possible Western Conference locations chosen to host the NHL’s return, in what is expected to be played in just two arenas throughout North America.
Rogers Arena would certainly be an ideal location: it has already played host to some big-time hockey events.
In June of 2011 Rogers Arena hosted four games of the Stanley Cup Finals (not to name the results.)
Just one year earlier perhaps the most memorable goal in Canadian hockey history occurred when Sidney Crosby scored in overtime while in Rogers Arena for the 2010 Olympic Games.
Premier John Horgan is certainly a fan of the idea.
“If I was bringing my family from some part of North America, or indeed from Europe, would I want to spend a summer in Toronto, Edmonton or Vancouver?” B.C. Premier John Horgan said in a news conference. “I think Vancouver speaks for itself.”
No matter what, if Vancouver was to be chosen as a host, players would still have to adhere to strict guidelines upon coming in from the United States and Europe, including a mandatory 14-day quarantine.
