Colorado Avalanche: Best Hub City for Phase 4
The Colorado Avalanche will play in one of the six cities the NHL and NHLPA are still deciding on for when the playoffs take place.
The Colorado Avalanche have a clearer idea of where they’re going to be playing for the playoffs in August. The NHL has officially eliminated Columbus, Pittsburgh, St. Paul/Minneapolis and Dallas from hosting the playoffs.
That leaves five Western Conference cities and one Eastern Conference city. LA, Vegas, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Chicago are the western cities, while Toronto is the lone eastern city. The NHL is expected to announce the two hub cities at the end of the week.
Training camp is set to start July 10 in teams’ home cities. They’ll travel to their hub city between July 23 and 24 with the playoffs staring July 30.
As of right now, it’s thought Vegas is almost sure to be a hub city with Vancouver and Edmonton tied for the other hub. Toronto is going to get a big boost, though, because it’s eastern and because it’s the capitol of hockey.
That’s for the NHL and NHLPA to decide. They want players to be in a bubble with hotels and restaurants near the hockey facilities.
From an Avalanche’s perspective, let’s look at the potential hub cities.
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.
Chicago
Chicago isn’t ideal in terms of a bubble. They have plenty of high-end hotels and some fabulous restaurants. But none of those items are near the United Center. Indeed, the area around there is said to be sketchy.
Their practice rink is nearby, but that simply doesn’t help with the bubble. I really don’t like Chicago as a hub city from a Colorado Avalanche perspective. I also don’t want the Blackhawks to get any more recognition than they already have.
At least they seem to have their COVID-19 response under control.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles features the LA Live Complex around the Staples Center. It offers restaurants, movie theaters, and a bowling alley right by the arena. It also has several hotels right on the campus.
That definitely makes for a good bubble for the teams. It would be great for players because the weather is nice for their time off. It also features some nice restaurants like two Wolfgang Puck restaurants, a steak house, and Patxi’s Pizza.
Unfortunately, LA is a COVID-19 hot spot right now. I don’t love the area for that reason. It’s seen as second-fiddle to Vegas anyway.
Toronto
As I said, the NHL is going to try really hard to award Toronto as a hub city. They’re not the sexiest of Canadian cities on the list, but they’re not the un-sexiest either.
Toronto’s bid as a hub cit includes a “40-acre campus-like bubble” on the Canadian National Exhibition grounds. Players would have access to plenty of practice and play facilities. They’d also have a great hotel.
Best I can tell, though, there aren’t any built-in amenities. It appears to be a fair grounds. Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment will provide food trucks and an outdoor movie theater.
Really? Food trucks?
Edmonton
City-wise, Edmonton is the un-sexiest Canadian option on this list. However, their bid is a lot better than Toronto’s. In fact, it’s one of the more alluring packages. Here it is in detail:
OEG making a big push on the safety, and player experience elements in bid to be Hub city. Details below on what they have put in front of the league and the players. (My reporting in point form.) pic.twitter.com/HzDmp4p7ZH
— Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) June 22, 2020
Wow. Those Olympic Villages are cool setups. They have some fun activities for the players — especially the chance at some golf. What’s more, they have some good facilities for practicing and playing the games.
I’m not sure the players would love it, though, because they want access to restaurants, not just delivery service. I guess delivery from top-end restaurants is better than food trucks.
Their response to COVID-19 has been pretty good, though.
I wouldn’t mind Edmonton for the Colorado Avalanche.
Vancouver
Vancouver is the sexiest Canadian city on this list, and could rival any of the American cities. I’ve never been, but it’s said Vancouver in the summer is like heaven.
They also have a really nice bid on the table. Because it’s such a tourist hot spot, there are no shortage of high-end hotels. The players would stay at the JW Marriott Parq, which boasts 500 rooms and is just 400 yards from the rink.
The hotel features its own nice restaurants, and the players would even have access to a large outdoor space that’s connected to one of the restaurants. The city has also included other restaurants in the mix.
Sign the Colorado Avalanche up. The players will be in an ideal setting without the distractions of a place like Vegas. And COVID-19 numbers have been pretty well contained.
Next. Return to Play?. dark
Anyway, the Colorado Avalanche will perform well no matter where the games are played. We’ll all be cheering so loudly for them they’ll hear us even in their hub city.