NHL teams arrive in Toronto, Edmonton ahead of league restart

Rogers Place arena in Edmonton, Alta. (Jason Franson/CP)

After a couple of weeks skating in their home cities, NHL players, coaches and staff are making the journey to Toronto and Edmonton as the league prepares for the long-awaited restart to the season.

Once they’re settled into the hub cities, the 24 teams will prepare for a slate of exhibition games starting on July 28. The Stanley Cup qualifying rounds and round-robin play will begin on Aug. 1.

Here are some of the best sights and sounds around the league, as teams enter the NHL bubble.

Maple Leafs and Rangers decorate their hotel floor

The Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers decked out their hotel floor with team decals on the elevators and walls.

Looking for bubble entertainment? Maple Leafs defenceman Travis Dermott and his guitar have you covered.

Predators greeted by family photos in their hotel rooms

Nashville Predators players shared pictures of photo frames already placed on their nightstands as they walked into their hotel rooms in the Edmonton bubble. “I’m not crying, you’re crying,” said forward Matt Duchene in his photo caption.

Strum for us, Islanders!

Multiple New York Islanders players brought their guitars with them to Toronto. Looks like there will be plenty of singalongs in the bubble!

Sorry Charlie, no dogs allowed

While there are a lot of people heading to the NHL bubbles today, unfortunately canine friends are not allowed. Boston Bruins forward Charlie McAvoy snapped a quick picture of his dog Otto trying to blend in to his luggage, later tweeting #LetOttoCome.

Joining in on the musical theme in the bubble, multiple Bruins were also spotted carrying guitar cases.

Oilers roll into Hub City life

While it was not a far commute, the Edmonton Oilers are officially set up inside the Edmonton bubble.

Golden Knights get sendoff from fans

In typical Vegas fashion, the team got a passionate sendoff from fans, who lined up in the parking lot to wave and cheer as the team buses left.

You might remember, when the Golden Knights acquired Mark Stone from the Ottawa Senators, the forward was greeted by members of the team’s drumline and cheer team — as well as the mascot, Chance.

Nate Schmidt took some time to send a thank you to the fans that showed up and William Karlsson made sure to say one last goodbye to his dog.

Panthers have arrived to Toronto

The Florida Panthers were one of the first teams to arrive to the Toronto bubble on Sunday. The team is staying at the Fairmont Royal York hotel.

Canucks make sure to have their masks handy in Edmonton

The Vancouver Canucks made the trip to Edmonton on Sunday, making sure they followed social distancing protocols by wearing masks.

Elias Pettersson also decided he wanted to lend a hand producing some video content to capture the team’s journey to the hub.

Hurricanes fans line the streets for team sendoff

Passionate Carolina Hurricanes fans lined the streets to send off their team to the Toronto bubble. Jordan Martinook and Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell rode in the back of a pickup truck, along with the team’s signature storm siren.

Flames are ready for a road trip

No planes were needed for the Calgary Flames, as the team piled into a bus to head to the Edmonton bubble. It’s about a three-hour drive to Edmonton from Calgary.

Derek Ryan also showed off some family photos set up in his hotel room.

Penguins prepared for ‘longest road trip ever’

The Pittsburgh Penguins are hoping for its “longest road trip ever” as it heads to Toronto. Winger Jason Zucker said he has packed “37 suitcases” for the bubble.

“Obviously you’ve got to plan to be there until October, and it’s just making sure you have everything you need to be comfortable,” Zucker said.

Winnipeg ‘Jets’ off to Edmonton bubble

The Winnipeg Jets are cleared for takeoff to the Edmonton bubble. The Jets will face the Flames in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers.

Wild head to bubble in matching tracksuits

The Minnesota Wild travelled in style on Sunday as the team wore matching tracksuits for its flight to Edmonton.

Canadiens show off their masks in Toronto

The Montreal Canadiens wore masks as they got off the plane after touching down in Toronto.

Keith shows off quarantine hair

Not having access to a barber has allowed Duncan Keith to show off his luscious locks. It was difficult to recognize the former Norris Trophy winner at first, but the Chicago Blackhawks decided to lend a hand with that.

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