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The NHL is abandoning the idea of potentially resuming its 2019-20 season using non-league arenas as a solution, ESPN's Greg Wyshynski and Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman report.
Despite interest from various cities, the plan never gained traction due to a lack of accommodations and difficulty televising games. The league is now shifting its focus toward two-to-four regular NHL cities where the coronavirus outbreak is contained and restrictions would allow games to be played, but there's no timetable at this point, Wyshynski adds.
The NHL is focusing on one arena per division. The home rinks of the Carolina Hurricanes (Metropolitan), Edmonton Oilers (Pacific), and Minnesota Wild (Central) are currently the front-runners. A location for the Atlantic Division is yet to be determined.
Four cities contacted the league after the NHL went on pause March 12: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Grand Forks, North Dakota; and Manchester, New Hampshire.
Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie was among the players to speak out on potentially playing neutral-site games, saying he'd play anywhere if it brought back the chance to compete for a Stanley Cup.
The NHL pushed its self-quarantine period to April 30 last week, and several options to ensure a fair format for all teams and safety for players are being considered as the pandemic persists across North America.
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