COVID-19 and Sports: Looks Like Coronavirus Checks Las Vegas Out Of NHL Playoff Hub City Competition
By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
It was only a few days ago when Las Vegas was considered a front runner to be one of two host cities for the NHL’s Return-to-Play 24-team tournament, but in the topsy-turvy sports age of COVID-19 it looks like the coronavirus pandemic has knocked Sin City out of the NHL hub city competition.
Several published reports said Las Vegas is out and Edmonton is in to host the NHL’s Eastern Conference playoffs.
Losing the chance to host the Eastern Conference teams means Las Vegas — and specifically, MGM Resorts International — lost heads in beds and valuable revenue and hotel room tax dollars after Las Vegas’ vaunted hospitality industry got crushed in April and May because of the coronavirus health crisis. More than 127,000 Americans have died from COVID-19.
Since the start of June, Nevada has observed increases in the number of daily new COVID-19 cases being diagnosed throughout the state. The COVID-19 cases identified in June have shifted to a younger age demographic and a higher proportion of cases are of Hispanic ethnic origin.
Today’s news that Las Vegas is apparently out of the running to be an NHL playoff hub also comes two days after one of the state’s most powerful labor unions, the Culinary Union, filed a lawsuit against The Signature at the MGM Grand, Sadelle’s Cafe at Bellagio, and Guy Fieri Las Vegas at Harrah’s on behalf of Culinary Union members who work in these casinos on the Las Vegas Strip to protect workers and their families from the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. Culinary Union complaint for injunctive relief here.
Since March 1, 19 Culinary Union members and/or their dependents have died from COVID-19, according to the union. The Culinary Union is suing these casino companies for injunctive relief under the Labor-Management Relations Act regarding hazardous working conditions. The lawsuit alleges casino hotels have not protected workers, their families, and their community from the spread of COVID-19, and that the current rules and procedures for responding to workers contracting COVID-19 have been wholly and dangerously inadequate.
Even if Las Vegas was picked, it would have had very little impact on hockey fans because the point is to keep players inside a sterile bubble as much as possible. There would have been no spectators at T-Mobile Arena. But it would have increased the occupancy hotel rate.
Meanwhile, the hometown Vegas Golden Knights — winners of the Pacific Division — appear to be off to Toronto for the Western Conference playoffs.
The virus pandemic has not been kind to Las Vegas as Sin City lost out on hosting the NBA, WNBA and apparently now the NHL. Plus, it knocked out the NFL Draft in April and Minor League Baseball’s Las Vegas Aviators for 2020 Tuesday.
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