Ontario Minister for Sport Lisa MacLeod announced Thursday that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators will be allowed to host games in their home arenas this season.

"This approval was granted after close scrutiny of the rigorous health and safety protocols that will be adopted to keep players, staff, and our communities safe from the spread of COVID-19 while permitting Ontario's NHL teams to play the game we all love to watch," MacLeod said in a statement.

The decision was made "in consultation with Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health and with support from local officers of health in Ottawa and Toronto," the statement said.

British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec have already given their teams permission to host games in their provinces. Manitoba has yet to give the Winnipeg Jets the green light.

The regular season is set to begin Jan. 13 with all the Canadian teams realigned into the North Division. The country's teams will exclusively play one another throughout the season.

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