When the NHL season resumes, Las Vegas will serve as one of two hub cities. Since late April and early May, the city, which is home to the Vegas Golden Knights, has been rumored to host a professional sports playoff event.
MGM Resorts reportedly proposed to the NBA, NHL, and MLS about resuming their leagues.
The rumors persisted, albeit at a lower intensity, as the city and fans eagerly anticipated an official statement from the NHL. Vancouver-based broadcaster Rob Fai, late last week, tweeted a series of potential strategies for how the plan might be executed.
MGM Resorts among accommodation options
Fai reports that the NHL plans to use Las Vegas as a hub city for its 24-team playoff tournament. Twelve out of the 24 teams have had their venues, accommodations, and transportation secured. The league plans to accommodate six to eight teams in each hotel they have reserved.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that visiting teams may be hosted at MGM Resorts’ hotels, which include Vdara, Delano, the Park MGM/NoMad Hotel, and The Mirage.
According to the Journal, the league favors hotels that do not permit smoking or gambling. Park MGM and The Mirage, the only MGM Resorts casinos yet to open, have been smoke-free since their mandated closure in March by Nevada Governor, Steve Sisolak.
Scheduled to open on July 1 are Mandalay Bay and the attached Four Seasons hotel. The Mandalay Bay complex also includes Delano, but its opening date is yet to be declared. Vdara, a stand-alone hotel, is part of the City Center complex which also includes Aria.
Should Las Vegas be selected as a hub city, the playoff tournament will take place in the chosen venue(s) with no spectators. Currently, the T-Mobile Arena is the only venue being considered. However, this may change when the official announcement is made.
An official announcement regarding the hub cities for the playoff tournament is expected to be made by the NHL by June 22.
NHL playoff tournament
On May 26, the NHL unveiled its “return to play” plan, which involves 24 teams competing for the Stanley Cup in a newly designed playoff format for this season. However, not all NHL teams will participate, as seven didn’t qualify.
The tournament will kick off with the Stanley Cup qualifiers. During this phase, 16 teams will compete in eight best-of-five series. Furthermore, a round-robin will be played by the top four teams in each conference to determine the seeding for the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Following the initial rounds, all subsequent series will be determined by the best of seven games. The pairings will be based on seeding, rather than a predefined bracket.
According to the New York Post, the Vegas Golden Knights will not be playing in their home city. However, Las Vegas will still be the venue for the following games:
- Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers
- Florida Panthers vs. New York Islanders
- Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
- Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
The Eastern Conference round-robin event will feature the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, and Philadelphia Flyers. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights will participate in the second NHL hub city.
Golden Knights Stanley Cup odds
When play was suspended in March, the Vegas Golden Knights had the third-highest point percentage in the Western Conference. As part of the NHL’s “return to play” tournament, they will be granted a series bye.
The Golden Knights are set to participate in the round-robin seeding games alongside other teams that finished within the top four point percentages in the Western Conference. The St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, and Dallas Stars will also be part of this conference round-robin event, which will determine the seeding for the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The odds for the Golden Knights to win the Western Conference differ depending on the sportsbook operator. BetMGM places the Las Vegas-based team at +350 to secure the conference. However, at Caesars sportsbooks, the odds are only +275.
Similarly, the Golden Knights have odds of +850 to win the Stanley Cup playoffs at BetMGM, while at Station Casinos sportsbooks, their odds are just +400.
Shopping around at various Nevada sportsbooks can be beneficial for finding the best odds. The simplest way to compare these odds is by downloading Nevada sports betting apps.
