Colorado Avalanche: Best Hub City for Phase 4

DENVER, CO - APRIL 17: Fans head for the arena as the Minnesota Wild face the Colorado Avalanche in Game One of the First Round of the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Pepsi Center on April 17, 2014 in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche defeated the Wild 5-4 in overtime to take a 1-0 game advantage in the series. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - APRIL 17: Fans head for the arena as the Minnesota Wild face the Colorado Avalanche in Game One of the First Round of the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Pepsi Center on April 17, 2014 in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche defeated the Wild 5-4 in overtime to take a 1-0 game advantage in the series. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
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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, NEVADA – MAY 21: An aerial view shows New York-New York Hotel & Casino (R) and T-Mobile Arena, home of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, both of which have been closed since March 17 in response to the coronavirus pandemic on May 21, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is still unclear when casinos in the state will be allowed to reopen or if the NHL will be able to finish the season that was paused as a result of COVID-19. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 21: An aerial view shows New York-New York Hotel & Casino (R) and T-Mobile Arena, home of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, both of which have been closed since March 17 in response to the coronavirus pandemic on May 21, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is still unclear when casinos in the state will be allowed to reopen or if the NHL will be able to finish the season that was paused as a result of COVID-19. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

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, ILLINOIS – APRIL 09: A general view of the United Center with blue lights on April 09, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. Landmarks and buildings across the nation are displaying blue lights to show support for health care workers and first responders on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – APRIL 09: A general view of the United Center with blue lights on April 09, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. Landmarks and buildings across the nation are displaying blue lights to show support for health care workers and first responders on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

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, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 20: Staples Center and downtown high-rise buildings are seen after the new restrictions went into effect at midnight as the coronavirus pandemic spreads on March 20, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statewide stay at home order for Californias 40 million residents except for necessary activities in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 20: Staples Center and downtown high-rise buildings are seen after the new restrictions went into effect at midnight as the coronavirus pandemic spreads on March 20, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statewide stay at home order for Californias 40 million residents except for necessary activities in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) /

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, CANADA – MAY 3: An aerial view of the grounds of the CNE at Exhibition Place and BMO Field and Ontario Place in the background on May 3, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
TORONTO, CANADA – MAY 3: An aerial view of the grounds of the CNE at Exhibition Place and BMO Field and Ontario Place in the background on May 3, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

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, AB – OCTOBER 04: Edmonton Oilers’ home arena Rogers Place is seen from the exterior ahead of the home opener against the Calgary Flames on October 4, 2017 in Edmonton, Canada. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images)
EDMONTON, AB – OCTOBER 04: Edmonton Oilers’ home arena Rogers Place is seen from the exterior ahead of the home opener against the Calgary Flames on October 4, 2017 in Edmonton, Canada. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images) /

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:

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, BC – AUGUST 20: Hundreds of gaming fans stand in line outside Rogers Arena as they wait to enter on the first day of The International 2018 DOTA 2 Championships on August 20, 2018 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC – AUGUST 20: Hundreds of gaming fans stand in line outside Rogers Arena as they wait to enter on the first day of The International 2018 DOTA 2 Championships on August 20, 2018 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images) /

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.

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