VANCOUVER -- Vancouver has been shortlisted as a potential "hub city" for NHL games, but B.C. health officials warn they won't be bending any COVID-19 rules to facilitate the return of the hockey season.
For the time being, any international travellers who arrive in British Columbia are required to self-isolate for 14 days, which could create complications if hockey players are regularly crossing the border.
Asked whether officials might consider making an exception for the league, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said they would not do anything that increases the risk of transmitting the virus.
B.C. Premier John Horgan, who has pushed for the NHL to consider Vancouver as a hub city, agrees with that approach, Henry added.
"I would love to have hockey but we have been very clear, and the premier has been very clear, that we're not bending the rules in any way that would put what we have achieved here in B.C. at risk," she said.
Henry added that she hasn't seen a plan for how the league might operate with Vancouver as a hub city.
"I'm happy to see what we can do but we won't be changing rules that would … undo the good work that we've done so far," Henry said.
Earlier in the day, the NHL revealed it is choosing one city for the Eastern Conference teams and another for the Western Conference teams.
The two will be picked from a shortlist of 10 that also includes Edmonton and Toronto.
The league has been suspended on March 12 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
