Report: NHL Considering North Dakota for Possible Games Site if Season Resumes

While the NHL weighs potential scenarios for finishing its suspended season, the league has considered a possible location for holding games.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Sunday that the league has tossed around the idea of finishing its 2019-20 season and postseason in North Dakota if games could take place. The University of North Dakota's Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks is among the places under consideration. The arena has an 11,640 seating capacity, but additional sites would be required. 

The NHL and NHLPA are expected to discuss other potential locales this week. The timetable for when hockey or other sports could resume remains unknown amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

The NHL suspended its season on March 12 due to the pandemic, just one after the NBA announced its decision to suspend its season after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. 

Other leagues are also examining ways to either continue or start their seasons. Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix reported last week that the NBA is exploring the feasibility of holding its entire postseason in Las Vegas. The English Premier League is reportedly considering quarantining teams to complete the season behind closed doors and could potentially televise games. Meanwhile, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal recently reported that MLB has weighed starting its season by quarantining teams and playing games in spring training parks without fans.

There are more than 1,331,030 confirmed cases of the virus globally in at least 184 countries.