Daly: NHL weighing 'every relevant consideration' before naming hub cities
Bill Daly won't say whether the spike in coronavirus cases in the United States has affected the NHL's decision-making process regarding where games will be played if the season resumes.
“Every relevant consideration will be fairly evaluated before decisions are made and announced," the league's deputy commissioner told TSN's Ryan Rishaug when asked if the rising virus numbers are causing the NHL to re-evaluate having an American hub city.
Chicago, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles are reportedly the three American locations among the five remaining candidates to host games. Edmonton and Toronto are the others.
Coronavirus cases have been surging in many U.S. states, with the country setting a new single-day national record on Friday with 45,942 cases, according to NBC News' Nicole Acevedo, Joe Murphy, and Josh Lederman. That number reportedly included more than 8,000 new cases in Florida, along with four-digit figures in Arizona, California, and Texas.
The NHL initially listed 10 potential hubs when the league unveiled its 24-team return-to-play plan in late May. Of those 10, seven were American locations, but Columbus, Dallas, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and Pittsburgh are no longer being considered.