Report: Las Vegas, Chicago, Los Angeles Among 6 NHL Hub City Finalists

The NHL has reportedly narrowed down its list of hub cities for the 24-team postseason to six.

Per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, Las Vegas, Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Los Angeles and Chicago are the remaining finalists to host the league's modified playoffs.

LeBrun noted Dallas, Pittsburgh, Columbus and Minnesota were informed by the NHL that they were no longer being considered.

Per ESPN's Emily Kaplan, Las Vegas is considered the favorite among the U.S. cities still in the running.

Kaplan did note the recent announcement by the Canadian government that it would allow the NHL to quarantine internally has made Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton "realistic possibilities—if not the front-runners."

When the league announced its return-to-play plan May 26, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said two cities were going to serve as hubs for the teams.

The hub cities will be evenly split with 12 teams from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference, with Kaplan noting the "Stanley Cup final or 'final four' would likely be in one of the two cities."

Phase 3 of the NHL's return plan, which includes formal training camps, is scheduled to start July 10 for all 24 teams in the postseason. An official start date for the playoffs has yet to be determined.