No fans will be allowed in Centre Bell for Thursday’s National Hockey League game between the visiting Philadelphia Flyers against the Montreal Canadiens because of the wave of coronavirus cases impacting Canada, Sportsnet announces.
It’s believed to be the first major sports game with American sports leagues that will be played without a crowd since the season started back in September. Football, baseball, basketball and hockey leagues invited fans back to the games as vaccinations rose.
“More details will follow in the days to come and as the portrait of this ever-evolving pandemic becomes clearer,” the Canadiens wrote in a statement outlining the announcement. “In the interim we would continue to encourage everyone to get vaccinated, get their booster shots when possible, and be responsible with their social and family gatherings throughout the holidays. We hope that with rigour and a collective effort from all of us, we will be able to come together in a near future in 2022.”