The National Hockey League (NHL) season just came to a close and the speculation now begins as to how the next season will work. Questions such as when will the season start, how long will the season be and where will the games be played will be raised as the new season nears. However, a very intriguing question that will be asked is will fans be able to attend games in 2020?

When the NHL’s season was paused, teams had started to shut out fans days before the stoppage. However, the NHL suspended play as COVID-19 began to hit the sports world. Once the NHL resumed, the league played its games in two bubble cities with no fans allowed in the buildings. While the bubble was a success with no COVID-19 infections and a fine setup, it won’t be a great long-term solution.

The players were away from their families for weeks, for some even months, and were often feeling homesick with the strict rules. As a result, the bubble was good for a postseason. However, the long term effects are to be determined with the feedback. While the NHL plans on returning to playing cities for now, the operations of home arenas are still up in the air.

With other leagues beginning their seasons, they have begun to experiment with fans at games. A handful of National Football League (NFL) teams have fan policies in place, and more teams may begin to bring fans back as the year continues. Major League Baseball (MLB) hasn’t allowed fans inside yet, but the league will allow fans at some point during the playoffs. Both of these examples will have social distancing protocols in place with masks required unless eating or drinking at a ticketed seat.

Even though limited capacities do not compare to sold out venues, it is nice to see teams are trying to embrace a new normal. However, teams around the NHL have not yet announced whether or not fans can attend games in the near future. Even if having fans is preferred, the health of fans and players have to come first, even with the players are mostly protected behind the glass of the playing surface. With various leagues attempting to embrace a new normal, how can the NHL make accommodations to protect everyone in the building and take advantage of the situation?

The Rules for NHL Fans:

The NHL venue is very different from venues in the MLB and NFL. While MLB and NFL stadiums are largely open air, and larger concourses allow for a greater ability to socially distance, the NHL arena is not. The NHL venue has a roof, smaller hallways, and a smaller attendance as well. However, the rules the NHL could enforce are very similar despite the difference in venue.

The rules that have been in place are fairly simple. Various teams have been doing temperature checks on fans entering the venues. Masks are also mandatory for all fans in attendance and are necessary at all times beside eating or drinking at a ticketed seat, if that. Seats have also been relatively widespread, often spanning multiple seats and, occasionally, sections.

Another piece to consider is the arrival and congregation of fans. Staples of going to games often include tailgating and going to warmups before the opening face-off. However, both activities often have no social distancing and will create gatherings of larger groups of people. As a result, a possible rule that could be embraced is the concept of arrival times. For example, the Miami Dolphins have made several changes to the entry process to Hard Rock Stadium. During peak egress, fans are assigned a specific parking space, arrival gate, and arrival time, and tailgating is prohibited for the near future. As a result, the NHL and its clubs can embrace similar policies to prevent larger gatherings inside and outside the arena, and rules from other leagues can act as a good foundation.

Attendance:

Fans have been allowed in various ways across other leagues. Various NFL teams have began to open their doors but allow from 7,000-22,000 people at a time. These numbers are projected to go up as the year goes on if the public health situation improves. Meanwhile, the MLB is allowing 11,600 fans into Globe Life Field in Arlington for NLCS and World Series games.

If the NHL decides to go by similar numbers, crowd sizes could sit somewhere in the 4,000s. However, the decisions to allow fans into arenas have to be up to local governments, as most of Canada and certain parts of the US are still under some stay-at-home order. If the league decides to green-light fans in the seats, it could look to one of this year’s Stanley Cup Finalists for how to space fans out. Although the games played out in Edmonton, the Dallas Stars held socially-distant watch parties, with masks required, for games in the Western Conference and Stanley Cup Finals. The capacities for each of these teams was about 20%, leaving around 4,000 fans in the building to watch the games.

As a result, if the NHL can come up with a proper ruleset for fans and players to follow, it’s possible the league can host limited capacities that can grow over time. While it’s odd to think that the NHL may have crowds the size of minor league games, it would be for the best as the NHL, its fans, and players try to embrace the new normal in the short term.

Matthew Page

I am a first year student at Hofstra University and an avid Islanders fan. I have been writing for Drive4Five since March 2020. My family has been season ticket holders for the team since 2016, and hockey is my favorite sport. As I expand my knowledge in the field of Journalism, I am writing to express my love for the Islanders and the NHL.