And remember, the Sabres gave a tour of their facilities to the Toronto Blue Jays last summer and offered their assistance to them during the team’s stay in Buffalo. The organization knows events such as this could put people back to work and fill up rooms in the Buffalo Marriott at LECOM Harborcenter.
As for talks with Canadian officials about the border, Daly simply said, “We’re engaged, they’re engaged, and we’ll get an answer when we get an answer.”
Added Commissioner Gary Bettman: “We’re going to try and maintain our flexibility and our agility, and we will be respectful of the process.”
Bettman said he hoped the Canadian government will have faith in the NHL’s ability to execute playoffs in Canada based on the huge success of last summer’s bubbles. The league waited until the last minute to choose those cities and Bettman said that experience would allow the league to take things to the wire again, if necessary.
Just like the Blue Jays’ desire to play in Toronto but prepare for other possibilities such as Sahlen Field, the NHL wants these games in home sites. But it can’t be left unprepared, either. To date, the Canadian government has given no leeway to the NHL, the Blue Jays or the NBA’s Toronto Raptors.
With no conferences this year, the final four teams are being reseeded by regular season records. So you could have a semifinal or final between, say, Toronto and Boston. Or Washington and Pittsburgh (wow!). Or Vegas and Tampa Bay. The possibilities are endless. Because they clearly rate as one of the favorites, the Leafs winning the Cup on American soil – and maybe even in Buffalo – can’t be discounted.