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NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly says the league wouldn't undoubtedly pause the campaign again if a player tests positive for the coronavirus after the games return.

"We believe that everything depends on the facts and the entire set of circumstances, but no, one positive test - even multiple positive tests - wouldn't necessarily shut the whole thing down," Daly told TSN's Ryan Rishaug on Friday.

Eight NHL players - five from the Ottawa Senators and three from the Colorado Avalanche - have tested positive for COVID-19 since the league postponed the 2019-20 season amid the pandemic March 12.

One night before the NHL paused its campaign, the NBA did the same following a positive test by Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz.

The NHL is targeting a return in July, with one team reportedly telling its players to get ready to report for informal workouts beginning May 15.

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The man who helped rescue the Carolina Hurricanes during a game in February is doing his part during a real-life emergency.

David Ayres is launching a fund in conjunction with the Kidney Foundation of Canada to help kidney patients amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"This time of year, and this situation that we're in, is tough for a lot of people that are going through kidney disease, whether it's dialysis or post-transplant," Ayres told 680 News' Lindsay Dunn on Friday.

Ayres, who underwent a kidney transplant of his own during the SARS epidemic in 2004, said the goal is to raise $100,000 for the campaign.

The 42-year-old became the first emergency backup netminder in NHL history to notch a victory when he helped the Hurricanes defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 on Feb. 22.

Ayres is the operations manager at Mattamy Athletic Centre (formerly Maple Leaf Gardens) in Toronto, having formerly served in a similar role at Ricoh Coliseum, where he drove the Zamboni among other duties.

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The role of general manager didn't always come naturally to Kyle Dubas.

The Toronto Maple Leafs executive admitted he was frightened when team president Brendan Shanahan first asked him to represent the club at a meeting of Dubas' contemporaries in June 2015.

"I was scared shitless when I walked into Vegas," Dubas said Friday, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "That was one of the most nervous times I've ever had in my life."

The Maple Leafs GM added, "I've known (then-Carolina Hurricanes GM Ron) Francis my whole life, so he was, like, the only person I felt I could talk to. I just went in, sat in my chair, and took notes at the meeting, and got up and left. But I was nervous as anything."

Shanahan tabbed Dubas and Mark Hunter as co-interim GMs following the firing of Dave Nonis and before the hiring of Lou Lamoriello, the latter of which came in July 2015.

"I really didn't feel like I belonged in (the meeting)," Dubas said. "I'd only been in the league for one year, and we were still a month away from having Lou hired. So, I just went in there, took my notes, and got on the plane."

Dubas became one of the youngest GMs in NHL history when he was promoted at age 32 in 2018. He was 28 when the Maple Leafs hired him as an assistant general manager.

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Amid developing news of the NHL aiming to resume the 2019-20 season in July, odds have been released for potential playoff series should the league jump straight into the postseason.

Let's take a closer look.

Boston Bruins (-350) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (+280)

Before the injury bug swept through Columbus, the Blue Jackets were one of the league's hottest teams. With a healthy Seth Jones and Oliver Bjorkstrand, and the exploits of Elvis Merzlikins between the pipes, Columbus is an incredibly dangerous eighth seed. The Blue Jackets beat the Bruins twice this season, and they'd offer a ton of value at this price.

Tampa Bay Lightning (-240) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (+200)

A fascinating series between two teams with something to prove before we can truly buy-in. It's hard to lay the juice with the Lightning after last season's catastrophic first-round sweep, though they again look like the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. I'd rather take a stab with the Leafs here at this price, even if their playoff resume hardly inspires confidence.

Washington Capitals (-200) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (+175)

This is a rematch of last season's first-round matchup the Hurricanes won in double overtime of Game 7, and expect another fiercely competitive series. The Capitals were reeling before the campaign was suspended, so perhaps they'll benefit from the break. But I can't pass up the Hurricanes at +175 because they'd be getting blue-liners Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce back.

Philadelphia Flyers (-110) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (-110)

The battle of Pennsylvania is a coin flip, and it might be the series to watch in Round 1. The Flyers were close to untouchable in the month leading up to the season being suspended, and the hiatus could negatively impact that momentum. The Penguins were trending in the opposite direction, but getting Jake Guentzel back for the postseason might just be the difference. Take the grizzled vets in Pittsburgh by a hair.

St. Louis Blues (-180) vs. Nashville Predators (+160)

The Predators are 4-0 against the Blues this season, but St. Louis is just so much stronger all over the ice. The Blues also hold a significant edge behind the bench, are battle-tested, and they would be getting a healthy and rested Vladimir Tarasenko back from a shoulder injury that's kept him out since August. I'm laying the chalk here.

Colorado Avalanche (-160) vs. Dallas Stars (+140)

Both teams were agonizingly close to the Western Conference Final a year ago, with the Avalanche losing controversially in Game 7 to the San Jose Sharks, and the Blues ousting the Stars in double overtime of Game 7.

Dallas is loaded on the back end, but the Stars would need their big guns up front to step up against an Avs team with very few holes. This series would be a lot closer than the line indicates, but although I don't like the price, I'd still roll with Colorado.

Vegas Golden Knights (-220) vs. Winnipeg Jets (+190)

Goaltending and scoring are both major strengths for the Jets, making them a live 'dog in this spot. While there's certainly a case to be made for Winnipeg, the Knights are just such a complete team, and a chip would be on their shoulder after last season's controversial playoff exit.

Edmonton Oilers (-120) vs. Calgary Flames (+100)

This series would be an absolute treat, and given the bad blood between the Alberta neighbors, the intensity would be unrivaled. That's all we know here though, and the series can essentially be billed as a toss-up. While I'd lean toward the Flames' grit over seven games, that didn't do them much good last season, and their goaltending just doesn't inspire enough confidence to warrant backing.

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan supports the NHL's latest proposal of using up to four hub cities to host multiple teams, separated by division, for a potential return to hockey if health officials deem it safe.

"I do like the idea of four hub cities, the idea of bringing each division to that hub city. It's one of the best ideas - or most workable, I guess is a better way of putting it," Shanahan told Sportsnet's "Tim and Sid" on Thursday.

"We're not talking about doing it right now or any time right around the corner, but when the time is safe and when the proper authorities give the clearance to do so, under the right precautions, I think that it is a very workable scenario."

The NHL recently abandoned the idea of hosting games at non-NHL rinks, with commissioner Gary Bettman citing a lack of accommodations and difficulty televising the games at smaller venues.

The league is looking at cities where the coronavirus outbreak has been more contained. While no locations have been determined, ESPN's Greg Wyshynski reported that the rinks of the Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Minnesota Wild are considered the early front-runners.

Shanahan said the Maple Leafs have been contacted in regards to Toronto potentially being one of the host cities.

The NHL recently extended its self-quarantine period for players and staff until April 30. The league officially went on pause March 12.

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It's no secret the Los Angeles Kings' Drew Doughty and Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk aren't huge fans of each other. So when Doughty's teammate Ben Hutton got the defenseman for the team's Secret Santa gift exchange, he came up with the perfect present: a signed stick from Doughty's rival.

"I might be ruining it, saying this because he (Doughty) still doesn’t know it’s me,” Hutton said on The Athletic's "Point Breakaway" podcast. “If he listens to this, he’ll know that for Secret Santa I ended up getting him a Matthew Tkachuk stick.

“It was signed by him and everything. I wrote a little message on it. He (Doughty) was going around the locker room trying to figure out who it was. None of the boys were snitching on me. So that was pretty good.”

The rivalry dates back to Tkachuk's rookie season in 2016-17, when he was suspended for two games for elbowing Doughty in the head. The two have exchanged insults on numerous occasions, with Doughty saying he has "no respect" for Tkachuk, to which the youngster responded that he doesn't care and will still "sleep like a baby."

Hutton also revealed Tkachuk was in on the gag. Despite the beef, the 22-year-old was willing to participate.

“I got our trainers to do it,” Hutton said. “We were flying to Calgary when we were doing (the Secret Santa gift exchange), so it just clicked in my head. I asked our trainers, and once they told (Tkachuk) who it was for, he was all for it.”

Doughty may have gotten the short end of the stick by being kept in the dark, but it's still good to see two rivals knowing how to have fun with one another.

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The NHL should be deep into postseason action, but with the start of the 2019-20 playoffs delayed, theScore's hockey editors are picking their favorite Game 7s from years past.

Today, we look back at the final installment of the Battle of Ontario, wherein the Toronto Maple Leafs bounced the archrival Ottawa Senators from the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons.

The setup

The Maple Leafs and Senators met in the postseason three years in a row from 2000-02. After a year off, they crossed paths again in the first round in 2004. Toronto entered the playoffs as the 4-seed with 103 points, a single point clear of Ottawa in the standings.

The Senators came into the series as the stronger team on paper, ranking first in goals for through the regular season and ninth in goals against. Ottawa had a deep roster led by the likes of Marian Hossa, Daniel Alfredsson, Zdeno Chara, and a pair of dynamic young forwards in Jason Spezza and Martin Havlat.

The Leafs were a veteran club through and through, built around captain Mats Sundin, Gary Roberts, and Alexander Mogilny up front while a 38-year-old Ed Belfour tended goal.

The series

The Senators won Game 1 on the road, but the Maple Leafs responded with two consecutive victories to take a 2-1 lead. Ottawa won a crucial Game 4 in which Toronto was dealt a major blow, as Sundin suffered a lower-body injury that caused him to miss the remainder of the series. The Maple Leafs went on to win Game 5 without their leader thanks to a 21-save shutout from Belfour. After the contest, Alfredsson guaranteed his club would win Game 6 at home and ultimately take the series.

The Sens captain came through on the first part of his promise, as a baby-faced Mike Fisher scored in double overtime of Game 6 to send the series back to Toronto for a winner-take-all showdown.

The game

The Star(s): Maple Leafs forward Joe Nieuwendyk had the most memorable performance of the game, burying two first-period goals (we'll get to those later) to provide Toronto an early and insurmountable lead.

Even though Toronto was in the driver's seat for nearly the entire game, Belfour was fantastic in goal, stopping 36-of-37 Senators shots. After Ottawa scored 22 seconds into the second period to make it 3-1 and gain a glimmer of hope, Eddie the Eagle was there to stop the ensuing barrage with several key saves.

The X-factor(s): The Maple Leafs' opening goal came from the unlikeliest of sources, as depth winger Chad Kilger tallied his first goal of the playoffs just over six minutes into the first period. The veteran winger had only three goals that season, but he was in the right spot to bury a perfect feed from another rare offensive contributor: enforcer Tie Domi.

Kilger went on to add the primary assist on Toronto's key insurance marker in the third period. As they say, anything can happen in a Game 7.

Key moment: Nieuwendyk's aforementioned two first-period goals are unquestionably the lasting memory from this game. The eventual Hall of Famer notched his first less than two minutes after Kilger opened the scoring, fooling Ottawa goaltender Patrick Lalime with a soft wrister from the left boards.

Oddly enough, Nieuwendyk got the same opportunity on a nearly identical rush in the final minute of the opening frame. He squeaked another one past Lalime, and the game might as well have been over. Even legendary announcer Bob Cole was dumbfounded, shouting "What's going on?!" as a raucous Air Canada Centre crowd basked in the commanding 3-0 advantage for their Leafs.

The highlight

Sixteen years later, these goals still make no sense.

Lalime was pulled after allowing three goals on 11 shots in a performance that tarnished an otherwise impressive playoff resume. He had managed a .926 save percentage and 1.77 goals-against average across 41 postseason games, but that outing in Toronto was the final playoff start of his career.

"Patrick didn't have a good night," Senators head coach Jacques Martin said following the loss. "We're not going to hide that."

The fallout

The Leafs were eliminated in six games by the Philadelphia Flyers the following round. After that, Toronto and Ottawa went in opposite directions.

The 2004-05 season was canceled due to lockout, but before the league returned for the 2005-06 campaign, the Senators made a major splash by trading for Dany Heatley. He scored 50 goals in each of his first two seasons in Ottawa, helping the team become a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference.

The Senators won the division that season with 113 points, then advanced to the Stanley Cup Final the following year. The top line of Heatley, Alfredsson, and Spezza was one of the league's best.

Meanwhile, the Leafs plummeted after the lockout. Their lineup was too old, and after they barely missed the playoffs in the first two years of the new NHL, things went further downhill.

From the 2007-08 season through the 2011-12 campaign, the Leafs maxed out at 85 points. The club wasn't developing players, and different management teams made a variety of questionable decisions without ever committing to an actual rebuild. Toronto didn't make the playoffs again until 2013, the lockout-shortened season that featured a 48-game schedule.

More pain followed, but the Leafs have been a real playoff contender since 2016. However, they're still looking for their first series win since ousting the Senators in 2004.

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The IIHF announced updated rankings and unveiled the groups for men's and women's hockey at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.

Here's a look at how the countries will line up in the men's bracket:

Group A: Canada (1), USA (6), Germany (7), China (12)
Group B: Russia (2), Czech Republic (5), Switzerland (8), Qualifier 3 (11)
Group C: Finland (3), Sweden (4), Qualifier 1 (9), Qualifier 2 (10)

The three qualifying positions will be awarded through tournaments set to conclude in August 2020 that feature 12 countries. However, that timeline is uncertain, as the coronavirus pandemic has already postponed or canceled several international events.

The 2018 Olympics marked the first time since 1998 that NHLers didn't participate. In January, commissioner Gary Bettman said the league is "very comfortable" not going to the Olympics.

Here's how the women's tournament will be set up:

Group A: USA (1), Canada (2), Finland (3), Russia (4), Switzerland (5)
Group B: Japan (6), Qualifier 1 (7), Qualifier 2 (8), Qualifier 3 (9), China (10)

In 2018, the U.S. women's team knocked off Canada in a gold-medal game shootout, while Finland claimed bronze.

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