The NHL’s focus has "returned squarely on its four-arena plan following a flirtation with the concept" of resuming the '19-20 season in teams’ home cities, according to sources cited by Larry Brooks of the N.Y. POST. Brooks reported the notion of playing in each team’s home rink -- albeit without fans in attendance -- "has been abandoned." The union, represented by five players in addition to union executives, "raised numerous questions about the plan under which the athletes would be subject to quarantine in their hotels in assigned centralized locations and thus separated from their families for up to three or four months." It is believed "up to a dozen NHL cities are under consideration to act as hubs if and when the NHL reopens." Still, testing remains a "major universal stumbling block to a reopening in any form as the league and union grapple with matters including availability and procurement of test kits, cost, reliability and speed of results." The league has "yet to settle on whether to resume/complete the regular season or whether to move directly to an expanded 24-team playoff format following perhaps a couple of exhibition games per club" (N.Y. POST, 5/2). Islanders President of Hockey Operations & GM Lou Lamoriello said, "Our focus is on safety and health first so everything will come after that. I think [the NHL is] doing it the right way. They’re communicating and keeping it within a small group" (NEWSDAY, 5/2).
