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NHL hoping to avoid full pause; Canucks' attendance reduced

Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

NHL in 'triage mode,' hoping to avoid full pause; Canucks' attendance reduced

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 12/17/21

Rising COVID-19 cases around the planet thoroughly dominated the sports world this week. The English Premier League could potentially begin a break ahead of Christmas as soon as Monday, multiple NFL clubs reportedly came close to forfeiting games due to virus outbreaks, and the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers of the NHL are all paused until further notice because of setbacks related to the virus.

The NHL and NHL Players' Association understand things are bad but are also not ready to shut things down as of yet.

During an on-air appearance early Friday evening, ESPN's Emily Kaplan explained the NHL is in "triage mode" but is "hoping to avoid a full-on pause at all costs" even though things are looking "pretty grim" for multiple clubs and the league as a whole:

From @SportsCenter tonight... here's the latest on where things stand in the NHL after a hectic day.

The NHL is hoping it can avoid a full-on pause & is taking things on a case-by-case basis. But things are looking grim.....for Olympic participation, too. pic.twitter.com/QpQPf0py07
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) December 17, 2021

TSN insider Pierre LeBrun added:

The NHL/NHLPA are in steady communication, basically it's a team by team, case by case approach trying to get through this wave while following medical counsel, and hoping to avoid a league-wide pause (that's a last resort).
Whether or not a pause can be avoided, we'll see...
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) December 17, 2021

The Montreal Canadiens played a home game without fans in attendance on Thursday night, and the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators have had arena capacities reduced because of COVID-19 surges linked with the Omicron variant. As was expected, the Vancouver Canucks had their capacity for home games dropped to 50% on Friday afternoon.

"As per the announcement today by the Province of BC and the Provincial Health Officer, capacities at Rogers Arena and Abbotsford Centre will be reduced to 50% as of Monday, Dec. 20," Michael Doyle, President, Canucks Sports & Entertainment, Business Operations said for an official statement. "With the rising COVID-19 cases in our community, we continue to work closely with the local health authorities as we support each other to keep the community safe as the pandemic continues to evolve.

"Our ticketing team is currently working through the logistics of this change and will communicate with our ticket holders directly as soon as possible. In the meantime, fans should hold onto their tickets. The health and safety of our fans, employees, players and community has always been a top priority and we will continue to enforce safety protocols for our Warriors game tonight and Canucks home games this weekend, including strict mask-wearing protocols. We also encourage all fans to get vaccinated and to follow provincial health orders in the coming days and weeks to help us all manage through this latest COVID-19 challenge."

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