Sharks Announce Feb. 1-3 Home Games Will Be Played in AZ Due to CA Regulations

The San Jose Sharks announced Saturday that their first two home games of the 2020-21 season will be played at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, because of COVID-19 restrictions in California.

It was noted in the announcement that the Feb. 1 and Feb. 3 Sharks home games against the Vegas Golden Knights will be the ones moved to Arizona.

That decision is a result of the ban on contact sports in Santa Clara County, California, which also forced the NFL's San Francisco 49ers to play the final three home games of their 2020 season in Arizona.

Sharks President Jonathan Becher released the following statement as part of the announcement:

"We feel that we have put significant precautions in place, including daily COVID-19 testing of the athletes and support staff, to allow for us to safely return to play games at SAP Center, while not exposing the community to any additional health risk. In our discussions with County officials over the past several months, we have shared our detailed return-to-play plans and are hopeful that we can find practical solutions to this difficult situation very soon."

In hopes of the Sharks being permitted to play in California by the start of February, the NHL scheduled each of their first eight games on the road.

San Jose is off to a 2-3 start through five games, which leaves it in a tie with the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks for last place in the West Division.

Before playing two home games in Arizona, the Sharks will face the Minnesota Wild on Sunday and the Colorado Avalanche next Tuesday and Thursday.

After Feb. 1 and 3, the Sharks' next home games are scheduled for Feb. 13 and 15 against the Ducks. The organization noted that an announcement regarding where those games will be played will be made at a later date.