Los Angeles emerges as NHL hub-city candidate

No one said the city acting as one of the hub-cities for the return of the NHL has to be in the playoffs. A report is now stating that the home of the L.A. Kings, Staples Centre, has emerged as one of the candidates to host some of the 24 teams expected to take part in the NHL playoffs once the league starts up again.

"While cities like Edmonton, Columbus, Las Vegas, Toronto and Vancouver have been prominent in media reports, [The Fourth Period] has learned Los Angeles is among the contending markets to host NHL action," wrote Dennis Bernstein.

"Confirmed by a source directly involved in the resumption-of-play discussions between the NHL and NHLPA, the bid by the Anschutz Entertainment Group, the owner of the Los Angeles Kings and owner/operator of Staples Center, is being considered by the NHL as a site for the continuation of play," Bernstein added.

When NHL play was suspended on March 12th, the Kings were 28th out of 31 teams in the league with 64 points. Only San Jose, Ottawa and Detroit were behind L.A. in the standings. That said, if games are going to be played in empty arenas, which seems all but certain, it doesn't really matter if the arena where the games are held belongs to a team not in the running. Los Angeles would certainly have the amenities needed to host as many teams as is needed.

According to Bernstein, L.A. entered the running when California governor Gavin Newsom announced last week that low COVID-19 hospitalization rates in the state meant that professional sports staged without fans in attendance could occur as soon as “the first week or so of June.”

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