The 2020 NHL playoffs will be played entirely in Canada: report

Maybe Jason Kenney’s Edmonton hype video that didn’t show any of Edmonton worked after all!

It’s being reported by insider Bob McKenzie that Edmonton and Toronto have been chosen as the hub cities for the completion of the 2019-20 NHL season.

That means the entire play in round and post-season will be played on Canadian soil.

Once a tentative deal is reached, it will need to be ratified by the NHL board of governors and the full NHLPA membership. It’s my understanding that the players would be voting on the entire package and a simple majority would be required to pass.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) July 2, 2020

McKenzie expects that the NHL and NHLPA will announce as early as today that they’ve finalized their “tentative” deal regarding their return to play protocols, a CBA extension and more.

“Once a tentative deal is reached, it will need to be ratified by the NHL board of governors and the full NHLPA membership,” McKenzie tweeted this morning.

“It’s my understanding that the players would be voting on the entire package and a simple majority would be required to pass.”

According to McKenzie, the western conference play in and first two rounds of the playoffs will be played in Edmonton, while the eastern conference teams will play in Toronto.

The league’s conference finals and Stanley Cup Finals will both be played in Edmonton.

Currently, the NHL is in phase two of its four-phase return to play plan.

Phase three, which includes full team training camps, is scheduled to begin on July 10.

McKenzie also tweeted today that player contracts that were set to expire on June 30 have now been extended to Oct. 31.

That means free agency will begin on Nov. 1 this year instead of the typical July 1.