For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter The National Hockey League this week have narrowed the list of potential hub cities from 10 to 6, ruling out Pittsburgh, Dallas, Columbus and Minneapolis. The remaining group includes Chicago, Edmonton, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto and after reports on Wednesday that the bid by Vancouver has hit a snag, the Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the NHL has begun more detailed discussions with Edmonton and Toronto about being one of the two host locations. Toronto and other Canadian cities became more viable options earlier this week when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cleared the way for players to enter Canada without being limited by a 14-day quarantine. “We have indicated that we are comfortable with moving forward on an NHL hub in one of three Canadian cities that are asking for it,… Trudeau said. “Obviously the decision needs to be made by the NHL and the cities and the provinces in the jurisdiction. Canada is open to it as long as it is okay by the local health authorities.… LeBrun indicated that Vegas remains a favorite for the first hub, with Edmonton and Toronto likely options as the second choice since the NHL would prefer to have one hub city in Canada for balance and because of the inexpensive Canadian dollar. Chicago and Los Angeles remain backups if the Canadian cities do not pan out. "We would certainly like to have a city in Canada. As with everything we try to do and with our events, we try to move them around. Try to make sure that our Canadian clubs are well represented and this would be another example of that." Daly said last month. Toronto was thought to be out of the running until they resubmitted their bid this week, switching from a bubble closer to the Scotiabank Arena to a plan centered on the grounds of the CNE, with player access to Coca-Cola Coliseum (home of the AHL Marlies), BMO Field, the practice facilities for the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and the 400-room Hotel X on Lakeshore Blvd. The NHL is expected to name the hub cities as soon as next week, well before the start of training camps and the beginning of Phase 3 on July 10. *******
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— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) June 22, 2020