from Frank Seravalli of TSN,

The five Canadian provincial health authorities with jurisdiction over NHL games responded to the NHL’s Return to Play proposal with a joint letter on Wednesday asking for additional measures.

In the letter, written by Alberta Health chief medical officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw and obtained by TSN, the provinces presented the NHL with two options that could provide a road map to a green light to start the season with each team playing out of its own arena.

The fate of the NHL’s all-Canadian “North” division hangs on approval by Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.

The first option called for a “regular testing schedule for players, staff, coaches and close contacts, with close household contact testing required if players are living at home between travel episodes.” It also asked for “enhancing the schedule … to group games into blocks to limit inter-jurisdictional travel between provinces.”

“Specifically in the early part of the season, it will be important to make these considerations wherever possible,” Dr. Hinshaw wrote.

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