When the NHL season resumes, Las Vegas will serve as one of two hub cities. Rumors about the Vegas Golden Knights’ hometown hosting a professional sports playoff event have been circulating since late April and early May.
It has been disclosed that MGM Resorts presented proposals to the NBA, NHL, and MLS about resuming their leagues.
The rumors persisted but simmered down as the city and fans anticipated an official statement from the NHL. Recently, Rob Fai, a broadcaster based in Vancouver, posted a series of tweets detailing how the plan might function.
MGM Resorts among accommodation options
According to Fai, Las Vegas is set to become a hub city for the 24-team NHL playoff tournament. Half of the teams already have secured venues, accommodations, and transportation. Each reserved hotel will be accommodating six to eight teams, as per the league’s plans.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the MGM Resorts’ hotels that could potentially host visiting teams include Vdara, Delano, the Park MGM/NoMad Hotel, and The Mirage.
The Journal reports the league’s preference for nonsmoking and non-gaming hotels. Park MGM and The Mirage, the only MGM Resorts casinos not yet scheduled to open, have been smoke-free since their closure in March, as directed by Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak.
The Mandalay Bay, along with the connected Four Seasons hotel, are slated to open on July 1. The Delano, although part of the Mandalay Bay complex, has not yet confirmed its opening date. Vdara, a stand-alone hotel, is a 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 at the venue(s) without spectators. Currently, the T-Mobile Arena is the only venue being considered. However, this may change when the official announcement is made.
The NHL is anticipated to officially announce the hub cities for the playoff tournament by June 22.
NHL playoff tournament
On May 26, the NHL unveiled its “return to play” strategy. The plan is to have 24 teams vie for the Stanley Cup in a newly devised playoff format specifically designed for this season. However, not all NHL teams will be participating as seven teams failed to qualify.
The tournament’s commencement will be marked by the Stanley Cup qualifiers. This stage will involve 16 teams competing in eight best-of-five series. Additionally, the leading four teams from each conference will participate in a round-robin to establish their seeding for the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Following the initial rounds, all subsequent series will be a best of seven. The matchups will be determined by seeding, not a pre-determined bracket.
According to the New York Post, the Vegas Golden Knights will not be playing in their home city. However, these matchups will still take place in Las Vegas:
- 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 be played by the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, and Philadelphia Flyers. The second NHL hub city will host a game featuring the Golden Knights.
Golden Knights Stanley Cup odds
When play was halted in March, the Vegas Golden Knights held the third-highest point percentage in the Western Conference. As a part of the NHL’s “return to play” tournament, they will be granted a series bye.
The Golden Knights, instead, will participate in the round-robin seeding games alongside other teams that finished among the top four in point percentages in the Western Conference. The St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, and Dallas Stars will also partake in this conference round-robin event, aiming to secure their seeding for the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The betting odds for the Golden Knights vary depending on the sportsbook operator. At BetMGM, Las Vegas’ local team is given odds of +350 to win the Western Conference. However, at Caesars sportsbooks, the odds are only +275 for them to win the conference.
Similarly, BetMGM has the Golden Knights at +850 to win the Stanley Cup playoffs, while Station Casinos sportsbooks have them at just +400.
Shopping around at various Nevada sportsbooks for the best odds is beneficial. The simplest way to compare odds is by downloading Nevada sports betting apps.
