MLSE in contact with Ontario about Toronto serving as NHL hub city, Doug Ford says
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the Toronto Maple Leafs' parent company has been in contact with the province about the possibility of Canada's biggest city serving as a so-called "hockey pod" for teams should the NHL resume its season.
Speaking at his daily COVID-19 media briefing Tuesday, Ford said Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment has reached out, but hasn't provided any details about a potential proposal.
"They've been in contact," Ford said. "They're coming up with a game plan, [the] NHL as a whole. They haven't really divulged anything else as of yet, but we have had a conversation.
"Once I get more information, I'll be able to pass it along."
The NHL, which was forced to pause its schedule March 12 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, has been looking at plans to centralize groups of teams in low-risk centres in hopes of resuming the 2019-20 campaign this summer.
Under one rumoured proposal, fans wouldn't be allowed in arenas and teams would be sequestered in hotels. There were 189 games left in the regular season when the NHL halted play.
