Article content continued
Connor McDavid and the Oilers will take on Auston Matthews and the Leafs a total of nine times, one of the many crowd-pleasing match-ups after Toronto played only five games the past nine months, a playoff series loss to Columbus. In the Original Six days, the Leafs played their foes 14 times in a 70-game schedule. But forget the 48th Highlanders showing up to pipe in the 103rd season season — from inside Scotiabank Arena at least. Health safeguards aren’t likely to allow any fans at the 19,000 -capacity rink until the spring, if at all.
Toronto is slated to wrap up the schedule May 7-8 at home with two against Montreal. Camps for teams who made the playoffs last season are to open Jan. 3. In its statement Wednesday after the entire 868-game schedule was revealed, the league said all games would be actual home rink dates, but “depending on prevailing conditions both in local markets and across North America, (we) will be prepared to play games in one or more neutral site venues per division should it become necessary.”
Alberta, Quebec and Manitoba are believed close to signing off on agreements with the league regarding Covid precautions, leaving Ontario and B.C. Lisa MacLeod, an Ottawa area MPP and Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries for Ontario, told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch on Wednesday she’s not sure if all the provinces will get on board.
“If one or two weren’t able to (green light the NHL) there would probably be potential to play out of a different city that was allowing it. We’re not at that point yet.”
