Boston sports teams will soon be able to practice again following an announcement Friday by Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker.
Baker said during his COVID-19 press conference that he will issue an executive order next week that will include pro sports teams being allowed to practice at their facilities starting June 6, with safety precautions.
"We've had positive conversations with our professional sports teams, the Celtics, the Bruins, the Patriots, the Red Sox and the Revolution," Baker said. "This (executive) order also will allow professional sports teams to begin practicing at their facilities in compliance with the health and safety rules the leagues are developing. Facilities are still closed to the public at this time.
"I know we still aren't at the point where we'll have our pro sports teams back playing anything yet, the leagues are obviously working hard to host games again. I think we all hope, that at some point, opening practice facilities will help make that happen a little sooner."
This is a positive step toward the return of pro sports, but plenty of work remains.
The NHL unveiled a detailed return-to-play plan on Tuesday, although no specific dates for when games would resume were given. The NBA has not yet announced a formal return plan, although there have been reports about the possibility of finishing the season in one central location, such as the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla. Major League Baseball and the MLBPA still have issues to work out before the 2020 baseball season can commence. The 2020 NFL season isn't scheduled to begin until September, but the offseason already is well underway and has included virtual workouts/meetings.