Coyotes staff member tests positive
Chris Johnston: An Arizona Coyotes staff member has tested positive for COVID-19 and is asymptomatic and doing well. No other staff that has been tested have tested positive.
Players may need to return early that expected to get visas
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet: Another thing that players returning to the U.S. or Canada have to think about is their work visas. Their current ones will expire by at the end of June. Players have been “strongly encourage” to be in their playing country by June 21st.
The players had been sent a memo that stated: “it is essential that you return as soon as possible to give your club enough time to process a renewal application on your behalf.”
Training camps don’t open until July 10th and any early return had been voluntary. Some won’t be happy that they have to come over much sooner.
Vegas likely a hub city but details still be worked out
John Katsilometes of the Las Vegas Review-Journal: A source is saying that the NHL will announce that Las Vegas will be one of the hub cities on June 22nd.
MGM will keep a hotel or two closed so that they could be used, with sources saying options could be Vdara, Delano, the Park MGM/NoMad Hotel and The Mirage.
The NHL asked for a nonsmoking, nongaming hotel, so it would likely be Vdara and Delano.
The NHL and MGM Resort representative wouldn’t comment.
Chris Johnston of Sportsnet: Should expect an announced on hub cities before June 22nd. Vegas will be one, and the other will depend if the 14-day quarantine is relaxed in Canada. Teams need to know asap.
Toronto would be the preferred Canadian hub city.
Michael Russo: The reports of Vegas being one of the hub cities are probably true, but the NHL and NHLPA haven’t signed anything yet.
David Pagnotta: Sources from both the NHL and NHLPA sides said there has been no announcement date set. One source said that “nothing has been finalized on hub city front.”
Vegas is a likely hub city.
Jim Matheson: “If Toronto is picked as Canadian hub for NHL play-in and playoffs it has everything to do with hotel space and an Eastern time zone, and little to do with health. Their COVID-19 numbers are nowhere near as good as Edmonton’s. Plus, of course, Toronto is a league office.”