San Jose Sharks to play first two home games at Coyotes’ Gila River Arena
Jan 23, 2021, 2:04 PM
The Coyotes logo on the ice during the NHL hockey game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Arizona Coyotes on March 26, 2019 at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The San Jose Sharks will play their first two home games of the season at Gila River Arena, the team announced Saturday.
The games are scheduled for Feb. 1 and 3 against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Arizona Coyotes are scheduled to be on a road trip at that time to play the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 2 and 4.
“We feel that we have put significant precautions in place, including daily COVID-19 testing of the athletes and support staff, to allow for us to safely return to play games at SAP Center, while not exposing the community to any additional health risk,” Sharks President Jonathan Becher said in a press release.
“In our discussions with county officials over the past several months, we have shared our detailed return-to-play plans and are hopeful that we can find practical solutions to this difficult situation very soon.”
The Sharks opened training camp in Arizona after Santa Clara County officials banned contact sports due to surging coronavirus cases. The same ban forced the San Francisco 49ers to close out their season at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.
San Jose’s next set of home games are scheduled for Feb. 13 and 15, but it has yet to be determined if the team will receive permission to play in the home arena, SAP Center, or will continue playing in Arizona.
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