A national plan is especially important for the NHL, which has seven teams in five Canadian provincesGETTY IMAGES
President Trump said that he "wants athletic competition to begin again both for his own entertainment and as symbol of life returning to normal," but in Canada, "no such rush exists," according to Matthew Futterman of the N.Y. TIMES. Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault said that for now, "much of the country is essentially operating under a prohibition on all large gatherings until the end of the summer, including sports gatherings." League representatives in the U.S. said that they have "open lines of communication with government officials in Canada, but that serious discussions about holding games in Canada have yet to occur." Guilbeault said that the federal and provincial governments "may consider some wiggle room for sports, perhaps allowing them to be played without crowds or with a reduced number of fans." But he added that it is "far too early to predict anything." Meanwhile, Futterman notes a national plan is "especially important to the NHL, which has seven of its teams in five provinces, and to MLS, which has three teams in three provinces." An NHL spokesperson said that the league "plans to follow the advice of leading medical authorities and of local and federal officials in both the United States and Canada." An MLS spokesperson said that for now, it was "relying on its franchise owners in Canada to work with government officials" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/22).
