Sharks issue response to county’s new orders
New restrictions would impact prep for next season
SAN JOSE >> The San Jose Sharks on Monday said it was too soon to know how Santa Clara County’s new restrictions on sports teams would impact their preparation for the upcoming NHL season.
In response to surging numbers of local COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations, the county — as one of its preventative measures — ordered all professional, collegiate and youth sports teams to temporarily halt all activities that involve physical contact. The directive began Monday and lasts until Dec. 21.
T he announcement could force the Sharks and Barracuda, San Jose’s AHL affiliate, to move their training camps outside of the county. Sharks Sports & Entertainment president Jonathan Becher said Nov. 20 the team has been in discussions with other
hockey facilities about relocating San Jose’s training camp, but would not specify where.
Since the NHL, though, has not of ficially announced a start date for training camps or the regular season, the Sharks’ organization said it has not yet made any formal plans to temporarily relocate. The 49ers on Monday announced they would play their remaining home games at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona instead of Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
“Until we have additional information regarding those dates,” the Sharks’ said in a statement, “it is premature to speculate on
how the revised health directives from Santa Clara County will affect the San Jose Sharks plans to prepare for the upcoming season.”
T he leag ue and the NHL Players’ Association had set Jan. 1 as a target date to start the regular season. But it appears that date will be pushed back as league ow ners look to renegotiate the terms of the Collective Bargaining A g reement extension they reached with the Players’ Association this summer.
In the meantime, Sharks players had been using their practice facility, Solar4America Ice in San Jose, to skate and train two or three times a week using protocols set forth by the NHL and the county.
“Based on the revised County directives, those ac
tivities will have to be modified to comply with the health order,” the Sharks’ statement said. “We are reviewing what options may
be available locally to allow these players to receive rehabilitation treatment and continue their training for the upcoming season.”