What Does the NHL Travel Exemption Mean for the Blue Jays?

While the NHL exemption bodes well for a return to Rogers Centre, there are still some significant obstacles to overcome.

© Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

The odds of the Toronto Blue Jays returning to Rogers Centre in 2021 are moving in the right direction.

The Canadian government approved a travel exemption on Sunday that allows NHL teams to travel between Canada and the United States without quarantining, according to the CBC. 

Players will live in a modified quarantine bubble and will be subjected to pre and post-arrival tests, as well as regular COVID-19 testing, the CBC reports. 

It's the first time the Canadian government has allowed cross-border travel for sports teams. The NBA's Toronto Raptors played their most recent season in Tampa Bay and the Blue Jays have split time between Dunedin and now Buffalo.

BREAKING: The federal government has approved a travel exemption for the final 2 rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs that would allow NHL teams to cross the Canada-US border without quarantining. Players and club personnel will be subject to enhanced public health measures.

— CBC News Alerts (@CBCAlerts) June 6, 2021

The NHL exemption is a solid precedent, but doesn't guarantee the Blue Jays will play in Toronto anytime soon, especially while the Canadian border remains closed to non-essential travel. 

"Until the border is open, any proposal would have to deal with that and create a set of circumstances that allowed cross-border travel for players, families and visiting teams," Blue Jays President and CEO Mark Shapiro said recently. 

If an exemption were to be made for MLB and the Toronto Blue Jays, there's a good chance it would involve a rigorous quarantine setting -- potentially at the Rogers Centre hotel -- which wouldn't be a very appealing environment to players and coaches who've only recently settled into Buffalo with their families.

Additionally, Shapiro mentioned a move to Toronto would require lots of pre-planning if an exemption is in place for the Blue Jays. 

"For us to even consider any move with logistics, operations and people in play, we need four weeks ahead of time to execute on a plan," Shapiro said. 

With that in mind, if the Blue Jays end up moving to Toronto this season, it likely wouldn't come until mid-July or later. 

The Blue Jays last played a game at Rogers Centre on Sept. 29, 2019 in an 8-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.