British Columbia health officials announced Tuesday that events will be able to return to 100 percent capacity this week following the COVID-19 Omicron wave, meaning the Vancouver Canucks can host a full crowd at their next home game Saturday against the Anaheim Ducks.
The Canucks have not welcomed a full-capacity crowd at Rogers Arena since Dec. 14 for a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. In the days that followed, Omicron’s spread throughout the NHL caused numerous postponements and soon led to a temporary league-wide pause.
British Columbia previously had capped indoor events at 50 percent to facilitate social distancing. The NHL rescheduled many home games for Canadian teams during January due to the financial impact of not having many, if any, fans.
The news comes one day after Ontario officials announced that the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, and the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, can raise their capacity to 50 percent beginning Thursday. A limit of 500 fans had been in place at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto and the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa since Jan. 31.
“Today’s news was made possible thanks to everyone’s efforts and commitment in recent weeks and months as we all navigated the latest challenges of the pandemic,” Canucks Sports and Entertainment president of business operations Michael Doyle said in a statement.
“But it’s now an exciting time to look forward again. The announcement today is great news as we head into our next Canucks home game on Saturday, and for our teams and fans in Vancouver and Abbotsford for the rest of the season.”
The Canucks are in sixth place in the Pacific Division and are 10-9-3 at home this season.
–Field Level Media