NHL won't host postseason games in Pittsburgh this summer
If the NHL returns to action this summer, it won’t be taking place in Pittsburgh.
On Monday, the Penguins were informed the league would not be staging games for a postseason tournament in PPG Paints Arena or accompanying facilities. The team announced the league’s decision Tuesday.
The league’s plan for completing the 2019-20 season — on hiatus since March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic — calls for a 24-team postseason tournament to be staged in two hub cities, with each city hosting 12 teams.
Pittsburgh was one of 10 candidates to serve as hub cities, as announced by the NHL on May 26 when it unveiled its plans for resuming play.
The Penguins had made an aggressive proposal to the league to host games.
“We know Pittsburgh would have been a great host city because of our fans and the support we received from the local business community, unions and our political leaders,” Penguins president and CEO David Morehouse said in a statement. “We thank Commissioner (Gary) Bettman and the NHL for considering us as one of the finalists, which is a reflection on how great of a city Pittsburgh truly is. We now look forward to training camp and getting back to game action.”
The NHL has not yet formally announced which cities will host, but Las Vegas, with ample lodging, is seen as a favorite.
The Athletic reported on Monday that the Minneapolis/St. Paul region and Columbus were eliminated from consideration. Additionally, Dallas was eliminated as a possibility, according to TSN.
Other cities the NHL identified were Chicago, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Toronto and Vancouver.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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