Mar 6, 2021; San Jose, California, USA; An external view of the Fairmont Hotel that was being used by the Vegas Golden Knights before a game against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
The Vegas Golden Knights learned that a road victory at San Jose comes with a price as they received an unexpected early checkout from their Bay Area landmark hotel after a 5-4 victory over the Sharks on Friday.
Alas, the 805-room Fairmont Hotel was not looking for revenge, it has instead struggled to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic and filed for bankruptcy, the San Jose Mercury News reported.
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“It was just a surreal experience,” Vegas head coach Pete DeBoer said. “Hopefully this is the end of the COVID year, but it was almost the topping on the cake for what the past year has been, for everybody in the world. Just another thing thrown at you, another thing to deal with.”
DeBoer added that he was not trying to compare the team’s situation to those dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 virus, just that it was yet another unexpected challenge in a year that has been full of them.
After finding a new place to stay, the Golden Knights headed into a repeat game against the Sharks on Saturday amid a season-best five-game winning streak.
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The Fairmont Hotel is the regular stop for visiting NHL teams to San Jose, leaving the league to figure out a new place for Sharks opponents to stay. The hotel is not closing permanently, with reports saying it is expected to open again toward the summer.
–Field Level Media