MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. – COVID has cracked down on the way fans will see the upcoming NHL season.
Whether outdoors at Centene Community Ice Center, where you must make an online reservation to skate due to COVID rules, or indoors, where the St. Louis Blues were holding a training camp practice. The general public not allowed to watch Monday’s skate and shoot around due to COVID restrictions.
The NHL and NHL Players Association released statements saying, “It is the current plan to play games in the home arenas of participating teams while understanding that most arenas will not, at least in the initial part of the season, be open to fans.”
The Association add, “However, depending on prevailing conditions both in local markets and across North America, the league will be prepared to play games in one or more ‘neutral site’ venues per division should it become necessary.”
So, games could return to Enterprise Center, but not fans for now.
The shortened 56-game season for the NHL starts Jan. 13 and ending May 8.
The Blues are part of the NHL’s West Division, which means late night games like the Blues’ Jan. 13 game against Colorado with have a 9:30 p.m. start time.
Four new divisions for the 2020-2021 season, designed for the health and safety of the teams and to minimize travel.
Fans are going to have an interesting shortened season to watch, if they can stay up past bedtime.
