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
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.