EDMONTON -- Premier Jason Kenney says the NHL commissioner has reached out to him, but made no formal proposal for Edmonton to act as a regional host if the league's season resumes.
"I can say that I did receive a call from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who wanted to ask some questions about Alberta's status in combatting COVID,” Kenney said Wednesday, speaking to media during a daily coronavirus update.
The premier said he hopes to see more activity in Alberta later in the year as the province reopens, but that any arrangement with the hockey league would need to detail risk mitigation and safety measures.
The provincial chief medical officer of health reiterated that Alberta currently has requirements for public health measures in place.
"We'd be looking to see a proposal that lines up with those,” Dr. Deena Hinshaw said.
The City of Edmonton told CTV News Edmonton it has not been approached about the possibility, and the Edmonton Oilers said it was too early to comment.
The Edmonton Oilers have been rumoured to be among the cities being considered as division hosts where the NHL could finish its season.
ESPN reported the idea of one "neutral site" didn’t pan out due to difficulty planning things like player accommodations hosting multiple broadcast crews.
Instead, the NHL is said to be discussing finishing its season along divisional lines: Edmonton Oilers hosting the Pacific, Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Metropolitan, and the Minnesota Wild hosting the Central teams.
When it paused on March 12, the NHL had 189 games left.
