Las Vegas
From a facilities perspective, you can’t beat Las Vegas. T-Mobile Arena is right on the Strip. You have huge hotels with world-class facilities so close to where the players need to be. The practice rink is pretty far out of the way, though.
I hate Vegas from the Avalanche’s perspective for several reasons. Even in the best of circumstances, Vegas can be a distraction. I’d love to believe our players would be disciplined, but I wouldn’t expect it. Vegas is Sin City for a reason.
I hate the arena. Don’t get me wrong — it’s a top-notch facility. But the Avs can’t seem to win there. I’ll always be scarred by the one and only game I saw there — the 7-0 debacle that was their debut in Vegas.
Finally, Vegas is a COVID-19 hotbed. Casinos and restaurants have already opened, and they’re having to close because of outbreaks.
The NHL seems bound to choose Vegas, though, so all I can do is hope it will be the Eastern Conference hub.