The parent companies of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Winnipeg Jets, Montreal Canadiens, and Vancouver Canucks are among the teams suing. While the claim does not say how much the plaintiffs have asked a court to award, it says losses suffered by the NHL and its clubs exceed $1 billion.
“Some cities that have a stake or interest in an NHL arena may have insurance coverage beyond what the NHL has put together,” said Mary Kelly, a professor of finance and chair of insurance at Laurier University’s Lazaridis School of Business and Economics in Waterloo, Ont.
In a Nov. 12 court motion, Factory Mutual asked a judge to dismiss the NHL’s claim, saying the league “does not allege any ‘physical loss or damage’ to plaintiffs’ property, which is a threshold requirement of the coverages plaintiffs seek.” During the 2020-21 season, the NHL reduced its schedule to 56 games per team, down from the regular 82, “with minimal, if any, fan presence,” the NHL's claim says.
Neither the NHL nor its teams specifically detailed their financial losses from shutting down because of COVID-19. On May 22, 2020, Factory Mutual wrote to the NHL that the “presence of COVID-19 at an insured location does not constitute ‘physical damage of the type insured,’” the NHL alleged.
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