Where the NHL could potentially hold games and when it could hold the draft

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On the latest edition of the Blackhawks Talk podcast, our Hawks crew discusses where the NHL plans to potentially host games if/when the season resumes, the possibility of the league holding the draft before the season picks back up and answers your Hawks mailbag questions.

On Sportsnet's "In Conversation" with Ron MacLean Wednesday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman laid out a four-city plan to resume the 2019-20 season, which was paused on March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

ESPN reported that the home rinks of the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Wild emerged as early favorites for three of the four potential sites. 

"Anything we're considering doing starts with health and well-being, whether it's the players or other personnel or fans or the community at large. Everybody is going through a tough time," the commissioner said on the show. "We're hopeful that by doing the right things in the short term that we're able to come back and hopefully complete this season on some basis that is fair and has integrity."

Bettman also said the league talked about a possible NHL draft in June with its general managers, which could potentially happen before the season is completed.

"It was a trial balloon. No decision has been made," Bettman said. "But as I said when we were getting feedback, we don't live in a world of perfect anymore. We're going to have to make adjustments. Ideally from our standpoint would be if we can complete the regular season, even if it's on a centralized basis, and then go into the playoffs that we normally play."

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