DeBoer favors potential Vegas games in August: 'It would be awesome'

Pete DeBoer wouldn't be opposed to playing postseason games deep into the summer.

"I can imagine playoff hockey in Vegas in August. It would be 120 degrees, it would be awesome," the Vegas Golden Knights head coach told Greg Wyshynski and Emily Kaplan on the ESPN On Ice podcast Tuesday.

"You'd have to change the dress code for the players coming to the rink, but ... I think people by that point would be starving for hockey," the bench boss added.

DeBoer also expressed how difficult it would be to not conclude this campaign with a postseason.

"I know, to a man, the players want to have an ending to this season and want to end it the right way," he said. "I know (with) our group, (when) you get this far into a year, you can taste the Stanley Cup Playoffs and you want some closure to that. So, I think whether we play in July, August, (or) September, I'm all for figuring out a way to get some closure to this season before we roll into the next."

As the NHL remains paused amid the coronavirus pandemic, deputy commissioner Bill Daly said last week the league may have the ability to play in August and would fit games in if necessary. TSN's Bob McKenzie previously reported the NHL asked its teams for available August arena dates.

Daly has also indicated the league wants to avoid anything less than a full 2020-21 campaign.

When the NHL paused its season on March 12, the Golden Knights sat atop the Pacific Division with a 39-24-8 record.

Vegas played until June 7, 2018, back in its inaugural season, losing the Stanley Cup Final to the Washington Capitals in five games.