Sharks will allow limited fans, starting April 26
The Sharks announced Friday they will begin to allow a limited amount of fans into SAP Center again later this month, starting with their April 26 game with the Arizona Coyotes.
Jonathan Becher, president of Sharks Sports & Entertainment, said the organization’s plan is to allow somewhere between 500 and 1,000 fans for the April 26 game, with the goal of increasing capacity as the Sharks’ regular season continues.
Starting with the April 26 game, the Sharks will have seven regular season home games remaining, with the last game scheduled for May 10 against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Sharks also announced they will host family members of the players and organizational staff for the April 24 game vs. the Minnesota Wild.
The games later this month will mark the first time fans will be allowed inside the downtown arena since March 8, 2020, when the Sharks and the NHL went against the wishes of Santa Clara County health officials and proceeded with a game in front of an announced crowd of 14,694 people.
The California Department of Public Health announced April 2 that it would allow indoor venues — including sports arenas — to host events with a limited amount of spectators. The threeCalifornia based NHL teams were among the last in the U.S. to begin to allow fans.
Per guidelines for indoor venues, announced earlier this month, a building’s spectator capacity may increase to 35% if all guests are tested or show proof of full vaccination. SAP Center has a seating capacity for hockey of 17,562, or approximately 6,100 seats, but the Sharks said they want to start small.
The team said tickets for regular-season home games, beginning with the April 26 game, will first be sold to Sharks365 members, suiteholders and corporate partners April on Monday. The most tenured season ticket holders will be the first group allowed to buy tickets.
Becher said he hopes other single game tickets will become available to those who do not fall into those categories.
Tickets, for the time being, will not be sold for San Jose Barracuda games this season, Becher said.
Becher said the organization is hoping to hold events like concerts in the arena this summer after the Sharks’ season ends as a ramp-up to hosting fans from the start of the 2021-22 season.
The Sharks announced all attendees aged 24 months and older will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID test or proof of receiving a complete COVID-19 vaccination, with the final dose received at least two weeks prior to the day of the game.
The Sharks said they will provide a complimentary COVID-19 test to ticketed fans 48 to 72 hours prior to the game they plan to attend. Spectators are required to pre-register for testing and book an appointment, which are available beginning Monday, through Total Testing Solutions.
All tickets must be purchased in advance. Physical tickets to Sharks games are no longer being issued.