Players happy fans will be returning to SAP Center tonight

The Sharks’ game tonight against the Arizona Coyotes will mark the first public performance at SAP Center in more than a year.

The team, which played to a friends-and-family crowd Saturday, is opening the doors tonight to a few hundred fans, mostly longtime season-ticket holders, suite holders and corporate partners. The general public hasn’t been admitted since March 8, 2020, near the start of the pandemic when the Sharks and the NHL — despite a request from the Santa Clara County health department — proceeded with a game in front of an announced crowd of 14,694.

“We miss them a lot,” Sharks forward Timo Meier said of the fans. “They’re a huge part. Sports, it’s what it’s about. The fans and all the emotions, coming together and enjoying those moments and seeing that joy in the fans.”

Indoor venues were opened by the California Department of Public Health effective April 15. The Los Angeles King and the Anaheim Ducks already have played to home crowds, but the Sharks won’t be the last to open their doors.

The Washington Capitals will open Tuesday. The Chicago Blackhawks remain in limbo, waiting for the go-ahead from local officials.

The Sharks have seven home dates remaining on the regularseason schedule and likely will expand ticket sales if tonight goes well.

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. Fans will only be allowed to eat in designated areas, not in the seating bowl, and some exceptions for medical reasons, all bags, clear bags, purses, and clutches of any size or type will not be permitted inside the arena.