The San Jose Sharks open their season tonight in Arizona, where they’ve also held their training camp due to COVID-19 regulations in Santa Clara County banning all indoor and contact sports. The team has anticipated that they may not be able to return to SAP Center during the month of January, scheduling only road games until February 1, when they’re set to meet the Vegas Golden Knights in San Jose.
Is it possible they’ll need to delay their return further?
Following the Golden Knights series, the Sharks hit the road again and aren’t scheduled at SAP Center again until February 13. It’s possible the Sharks and Golden Knights swap hosting duties to keep the Sharks away for an additional two weeks.
Even that might not be long enough. Per Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News, ICU bed availability in the Bay Area fell to a record-low 0.7 percent and would need to rise to at least 15 percent for Santa Clara County to life the current stay-at-home order.
The team will meet with county officials next Tuesday.
Read more, linked below.
News & Notes
- Sharks to meet with Santa Clara County officials about uncertain future [The Mercury News]
- Sharks leaning towards starting Jones in opener vs. Coyotes [NBC Sports Bay Area]
- Where experts place Sharks in power rankings before opener [NBC Sports Bay Area]
- Sharks’ Claesson & Balcers Signings Add More Than Depth [The Hockey Writers]
- Sharks’ Roster and Taxi Squad Breakdown [The Hockey Writers]
- San Jose Sharks 2021 season preview: Is the Stanley Cup contention window closed? [ESPN+]/
Blood in the Water
- NHL had 27 positive COVID-19 tests during training camps [NHL]
- Welcome to the 2020-21 NHL Season [Sports Illustrated]
- N.H.L. Enters Another Abbreviated Season [The New York Times]
- NHL 2021: All the New Logos and Uniforms This Year [Sports Logos]
- NHL Power Rankings: Final preseason edition for the 2021 season [ESPN]
- 2021 NHL season picks: Stanley Cup, division winners and awards [ESPN]
- REPORT: Long Island Hockey Team Hates Fun, Ruins Everything [Blueshirt Banter]
- Eleven things I think I think about the 2021 Montreal Canadiens [Habs EOTP]
- Red Wings make Dylan Larkin’s captaincy official [Wingin’ It In Motown]
- I’m Not Really Excited for the Season to Start, and That Sucks [Wingin’ It In Motown]/
Scores & Recaps
- Pittsburgh Penguins 3, Philadelphia Flyers 6
- Montreal Canadiens 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 5 (OT)
- Chicago Blackhawks 1, Tampa Bay Lightning 5
- Vancouver Canucks 5, Edmonton Oilers 3
- St. Louis Blues 4, Colorado Avalanche 1/
Click on a team name to find a recap on their SB Nation site!
On the Schedule
- New York Islanders at New York Rangers, 4 PST/7 EST on NHLN, TVAS, MSG, MSG+
- Washington Capitals at Buffalo Sabres, 4 PST/7 EST on ESPN+, SN360, SNE, SNO, MSG-B, NBCSWA
- Boston Bruins at New Jersey Devils, 4 PST/7 EST on MSG+, NESN
- Carolina Hurricanes at Detroit Red Wings, 4:30 PST/7:30 EST on FS-D, FS-CR
- Calgary Flames at Winnipeg Jets, 5 PST/8 EST on TSN3, SNW
- Columbus Blue Jackets at Nashville Predators, 5 PST/8 EST on FS-TN, FS-O
- Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers, 6 PST/9 EST on ESPN+, SN1, SNP
- San Jose Sharks at Arizona Coyotes, 6 PST/9 EST on FS-A, NBCSCA
- Anaheim Ducks at Vegas Golden Knights, 7 PST/10 EST on NHLN, ATTSN-RM, PRIME, FS-SD
- Minnesota Wild at Los Angeles Kings, 7 PST/10 EST on FS-W, FS-N, FS-WI/
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