COVID-19 puts a damper on the fun atmosphere that usually grips the cities involved.The Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers start their best-of-seven series at Rogers Place Wednesday night while the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs start Thursday at Scotiabank Arena — playing against each other in the playoffs for the first time since 1979.
Coaches say ‘no secrets’ and no certainty in one-of-a-kind NHL playoffs However, with Canada grappling with the third wave of COVID-19, most provinces have restrictions or stay-at-home orders in place which has forced the closures of restaurants and bars, where fans would gather together to watch their teams.There will be no fans in the stands or large outdoor tailgate parties that cities like.