The NHL got a border crossing waiver.
The National Hockey League has gained permission from Canadian authorities to stage late round Stanley Cup Playoff games with American teams in the country and not deal with the closed the United States-Canadian border. American-based team personnel will be isolated in Canada. Now the question is when will Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays team be able to play games in Canada? The answer remains no one knows. The Toronto team is playing home games in Buffalo, New York through July 4th. The team then goes on a road trip and the next scheduled Blue Jays home game is on July 16th. Right now, that game seems to be on the schedule for a contest in Toronto. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his nation won’t be pushed into reopening the border which was closed since March 21st, 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The border closure actually was made by both American and Canadian officials. Americans have been unable to visit Canada because of the restrictions, although Canadians have been permitted to enter the United States since October, 2020. Canadians returning home are required to immediately spend 14 days in self-quarantine.
Blue Jays customers have not seen the team playing in Toronto since September 29th, 2019. The team played its 2020 home schedule in Buffalo. In 2021, some of the Blue Jays’ home games were played in the team’s spring training home in Dunedin, Florida and in Buffalo. The National Basketball Association’s Toronto Raptors last played in the Ontario city on February 28th, 2020. Raptors 2020-2021 home games were played in Tampa. Blue Jays officials are hoping to have some Toronto games played later this summer but the border remains closed to non-essential travel.
