NHL trims Pittsburgh, Columbus from hub city shortlist, all Canadian cities remain in contention

Pittsburgh is out of the running to be one of the two hubs for the NHL when the league resumes its season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Columbus Blue Jackets were informed Monday they were no longer in the mix.

Las Vegas considered U.S. front-runner; 2 hubs in Canada possible

The Associated Press · Posted: Jun 22, 2020 3:02 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 23, 2020

A woman wearing a mask pulls her suitcase in front of Scotiabank Arena, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs. All three Canadian cities — Edmonton, Toronto, Vancouver — remain in the running as hub city locations after the NHL eliminated Pittsburgh and Columbus from contention the past two days. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Pittsburgh is out of the running to be one of the two hubs for the NHL when the league resumes its season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Penguins submitted what the club called an "aggressive" bid to be a hub city and was among the 10 finalists — including seven in the U.S. — announced by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. They announced Tuesday they weren't selected, joining the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Penguins president and CEO David Morehouse said simply being a finalist reflected the city's support of the team and the NHL.

Multiple reports Tuesday said Minnesota and Dallas were also out of the running.

Federal government approves NHL cohort quarantine proposal for hub city in Canada

Las Vegas is now considered the U.S. favourite to host NHL playoff games, unless two Canadian cities are selected. Canada's federal government last week said it would allow the league to quarantine internally, making Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton realistic possibilities — if not the front-runners.

The NHL has said it will select two hub cities — one for the Eastern Conference playoffs and one for the Western Conference. The Stanley Cup final or "final four" would likely be in one of the two cities.

WATCH | Choosing hub cities not an easy task: