Vancouver Canucks mark home opener amid relaxed COVID-19 rules
B.C.’s relaxed rules on COVID-19 capacity limits will be tested Tuesday, as the Vancouver Canucks mark their home opener against the Minnesota Wild.
It’s the first time the club has been able to play a regular season game in front of a home crowd in nearly 600 days.
“It's been so long. It's gonna be a lot of energy in our building and it’s exciting. You could use a lot of words, but it's going to be a great night,” said Travis Green, head coach.
The province moved into phase two of its vaccine passport program on Sunday, requiring people to be fully vaccinated before entering many non-essential venues and businesses.
As a result, the provincial health officer lifted pandemic related capacity limits on most seated venues.
The team hasn’t played in front of a packed crowd at Rogers Arena since March 10, 2020.
That’s when the Canucks snatched a 5-4 shootout win over New York Islanders.
There were 18,871 fans in attendance that night.
“It's crazy to think that we haven't seen our fans in that long. So I know everyone's really excited about it, we've been talking about it. We were getting a little itchy on the road there to get home and play some home games here,” said goalie Thatcher Demko.
Much has changed over the past 19 months
Attendees are now required to show their vaccine passports and wear a mask.
The pre-game party in the plaza begins at 5 p.m. and doors open an hour after that.
“Fans should expect lineups due to proof of vaccine checks and are encouraged to arrive early,” wrote the team on its website.
Tickets were still available as of Tuesday morning, with plenty of seats up for grabs in the lower bowl.
Canucks centre Elias Pettersson says he’s been missing the fans a lot.
“It's like an extra player almost. I mean, last year made me realize that, like, fans play a big, big part of just like, get you going to a game. So the fans, they play a big part,” said Pettersson.
Demko echoed that sentiment.
“The fans are such a massive element to you know, what we do on a nightly basis, whether you're at home or on the road,” said the goalie.
Most NHL teams have already celebrated their first home game, but the Canucks kicked off their campaign with a six-game road swing.
“We've seen like you said three home openers now so it’ll be good to be home and be in front of our own crowd again after so long without having fans,” said Green.
Face masks will be required at all times inside the arena unless you are actively eating or drinking.
The arena will also be going cashless and switching to solely contactless payment for the foreseeable future.
Puck drop is at 7 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Here's how much more Canadian landlords are asking for now, according to a just-released report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
What is basic income, and how would it impact me?
Parliamentarians are considering a pair of bills aiming to lift people out of poverty through a basic income program, but some fear these types of systems could result in more taxes for Canadians who are already financially struggling.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Out-of-control wildfire burning near Fort McMurray
As of 9 a.m. on Friday, the wildfire burning 28 kilometres southwest of the northeastern Alberta city was 25 hectares in size.
Mexico's president accuses press and volunteer searchers for missing people of 'necrophilia'
The administration of Mexico's president has accused the press and volunteer searchers who look for the bodies of missing people of 'necrophilia,' comments that drew criticism this week.