The provincial government is expecting a boost in the economy, thanks to the NHL.

Edmonton was officially chosen as one of two hub cities for the restart of the 2019-2020 NHL season, the 2020 NHL Playoffs and the Stanley Cup Finals.

“Edmonton has tremendous advantages that make it a prime choice, and Alberta has been enthusiastically promoting that message over the past few months," said Alberta's Premier Jason Kenney.

“With a world-class facility in Rogers Place, the unique infrastructure of the Ice District, and strong guidelines from Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, there is no safer place for the NHL to have the playoffs than in Edmonton."

Kenney made mention of the economic impact expected from the upcoming return to hockey, including attracting visitors to the province and being a benefit for hotels, restaurants, and many other industries.

He said 2,000 jobs in Edmonton will be created as a result of $60-million worth of hub-related economic activity.

“This is a unique opportunity to showcase the incredible sights and experiences of Alberta to the world and kick-start our economic recovery – all the while protecting the health of Albertans, players and personnel, and their families."

Rogers Place and Scotiabank Arena in Toronto will be home to the five-game Stanley Cup Qualifiers starting Aug.1. The 24-team Cup Qualifiers and the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will be held in both cities (12 Eastern Conference teams will compete in Toronto and 12 Western Conference teams in Edmonton).

Then, the Alberta capital city will host the Eastern Conference Final, Western Conference Final and Stanley Cup Final, which should begin on Sept. 22.

Both arenas will host up to three games a day. In Edmonton, game times are 12 p.m., 4:30 p.m, and 8:30 p.m. These times could change slightly.

The qualifiers include eight best-of-five series and two four-team round-robins. The winners of the best-of-five series advance to the first round of the playoffs. The top four teams in points percentage in each conference will play a three-game round-robin to determine their seeding.

The Oilers (37-25-9) will take on the Chicago Blackhawks (32-30-8) in the Cup Qualifiers. Their first game is slated for Aug.1.

Fort Saskatchewan's own Kirby Dach plays for the Blackhawks. Dach was selected third overall by the Blackhawks and should be in his team's lineup come August.