Toronto Mayor John Tory impressed with NHL's plans for Eastern Conference hub

A few weeks back, Toronto Mayor John Tory revealed his skepticism over hockey continuing in Toronto before the fall. Fast forward to July 3rd and not only will the city of Toronto be involved in the NHL's return to play plans, but Ontario's capital city will be one of two hub cities that will house the 12 Eastern Conference teams that will be competing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with Edmonton being the temporary home for teams in the West.

Tory's change of heart on the matter was due, in part, to the NHL's heightened health and safety measures, which they outlined in a detailed plan submitted to the Mayor prior to Toronto being selected as the Eastern Conference hub.

"They had incredibly detailed disinfection and health protection measures that were in place even within the bubble to make sure they covered every angle they possibly could from the standpoint of making sure they met our public-health objectives. At least it would appear that way from what I saw."

The Toronto-based hub will be located in a "40-acre campus-like village" which is home to the Coca-Cola Coliseum, where the Marlies reside, Toronto FC's BMO Field, and the Toronto Raptors' OVO Athletic Centre. Hotel X is a 404-room complex on the site as well, keeping players close to all facilities, eliminating all unnecessary travel to limit possible exposure to COVID-19.

As of July 1st, the city if Toronto reported just 749 active cases of the virus. Phase 3 of the NHL's RTP was supposed to begin on July 10th, but has been slightly delayed and will commence on July 13th, barring any setbacks caused by the pandemic.

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