Santa Clara exec says contact sports ban could force Sharks to leave

SAN JOSE — Santa Clara County Executive Jeff Smith said he expects the ban on recreational activities that involve physical contact with persons outside of their household to be extended into 2021, potentially forcing the San Jose Sharks out of the area to hold practices and play games.

Smith told this news organization he believed the ban, which went into effect Monday and lasts until Dec. 21, would be extended into January when the Sharks’ season could be well underway.

The directive also stated that individuals traveling more than 150 miles to Santa Clara County would need to quarantine for 14 days — an impossibility for other NHL teams that come to San Jose to play the Sharks at SAP Center.

Saturday, Santa Clara County recorded 747 new coronavirus cases, the most in a single day since the start of the pandemic in March. There were also, as of Sunday, 272 COVID-19 hospitalizations in the county, also a new record according to available data.

Asked about Smith’s remarks, a Sharks spokesman said Monday the team will not be announcing any decisions about where it might hold training camp or play games until the NHL officially determines when the 2020-2021 regular season will begin.

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,” a Sharks’ statement said before Smith’s comment was known, “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.”

The league 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 owners, citing staggering financial losses, look to renegotiate the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement extension they reached with the union this summer.

If the NHL were to start the regular season in midJanuary, a Sharks training camp could begin as soon as late December. If that is the case and the contact ban remains in effect, the Sharks and Barracuda, San Jose’s AHL affiliate, would at the very least be forced to move their training camps outside of the county. The AHL is targeting Feb. 5 for its start date for next season.

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.

Las Vegas could be an option considering its modern skating facilities and ample lodging choices. Irvine’s Great Park Ice, which has four rinks, just opened last year and could be another option if the Sharks are looking at Southern California.

Locally, the Sharks also operate Solar4America Ice in Fremont and the Oakland Ice Center in Alameda County.