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Plan to open 2020-21 NHL season in Lake Louise quashed
By Zach Laing
Oct 23, 2020, 16:07 EDTUpdated: Oct 23, 2020, 16:16 EDT
A tentative plan to host an NHL game in Lake Louise has been quashed, The Athletic’s Michael Russo reported.
Two weeks ago, an anonymous source spoke to the Toronto Star saying the league had been discussing a game be played in the mountain town.
According to an industry source who requested anonymity in order to speak freely, Alberta’s Lake Louise — with its famous Rocky Mountain backdrop — has been discussed internally as a possible location for opening day.The league — which has staged outdoor games on New Year’s Day since 2008 — is going full throttle to prepare for a potential New Year’s Day launch, canvassing teams on COVID protocols, the possibility of limited live crowds in certain cities, and the availability of hotel rooms close to arenas.
It would’ve been an incredible sight to see NHL players with the legendary rocky mountains in the background.
The league had been planning to host the 2021 Winter Classic on Jan. 1 in Minnesota, but that game has since been postponed. That game could return in 2022 while the 2021 All-Star game, which was also postponed, could return to Florida in 2022.
I’d be very curious to see if Edmonton would be considered soon for either of those events.
On Twitter: @zjlaing
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