As North America’s professional sports leagues try to figure out how to restart their games, they have to consider a factor that isn’t getting a lot of attention in the United States at the moment: Canada.

The vast country north of the United States has been at the forefront of the sports world’s dramatic response to the Covid-19 pandemic, playing a key role in persuading the International Olympic Committee to postpone the Tokyo Games and, in some regions of the country, canceling all sporting events and other large gatherings through August.

Canada’s austere approach to the pandemic and push for long-term social distancing measures stand in stark contrast to the approach of President Trump, who has spoken regularly with the leaders of sports leagues about getting games up and running again. Trump has included some of those leaders on his task force for restarting the U.S. economy, and he has said he wants athletic competition to begin again both for his own entertainment and as a symbol of life returning to normal.

No such rush exists in Canada, the home of the reigning N.B.A. champions, the Toronto Raptors; 11 other franchises that are part of the United States’ five major sports leagues; and one M.L.B.-affiliated minor league baseball team.