Penguins game Thursday in Columbus will be played without fans

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The phone kept ringing at the front desk of the administrative entry into Nationwide Arena early Wednesday afternoon.

At that point, a woman working as the gateway into the Columbus Blue Jackets’ administrative offices was telling fans the next day’s scheduled game was on and open to ticketed fans as usual.

A few hours later, following a not-so-subtle social-media threat from the Ohio governor, the Blue Jackets phones surely were ringing again. This time, what they heard from the team was quite different.

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ game Thursday will be played in a near-empty arena with no ticketed fans because of concerns of the spread of coronavirus, the Blue Jackets announced early Wednesday evening.

#CBJ statement regarding upcoming game schedule. https://t.co/xNOhNVaDSD

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 11, 2020

On Tuesday, Ohio governor Mike DeWine made a “recommendation” that asked for voluntary compliance of canceling or postponing events that gathered large numbers of people. Over the ensuing 24 hours, announcements involving several sporting events in the state — including, eventually, the high-profile NCAA basketball tournament games — came that they were going to be played without fans.

The Blue Jackets were one of the final holdouts. They initially resisted, announcing Tuesday their games would continue to be played in front of fans.

But Wednesday, DeWine subtly called out the Blue Jackets via a message to his verified Twitter account in which DeWine said there “will be an (executive) order” limiting large-gathering events in his state.

Compared to the NFL, NBA, MLB and even the NCAA’s postseason, NHL teams earn a much higher percentage of their revenue from gate receipts. While, for example, the rights fees CBS and Turner Broadcasting pay to televise the NCAA tournament dwarf what those events take in in ticket sales, NHL teams — particularly small-market ones such as Columbus — are worse equipped to absorb such a blow.

I thank those who have already chosen to limit large events in response to yesterday's recommendation. For the others, there will be an order.

— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) March 11, 2020

Before the Blue Jackets’ announcement Wednesday, the Penguins released a statement their home games would be played with fans on hand. This includes their next scheduled game at PPG Paints Arena, against the New York Islanders on Sunday — the day after what was supposed to be Pittsburgh’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.

But that parade, which has roots dating to the 1860s, was canceled Wednesday. As of Wednesday evening, the Penguins still plan to invite fans in for games.

The Penguins and Blue Jackets practiced Wednesday at Nationwide Arena, less than a mile from the Ohio Statehouse where DeWine had been holding news conferences relating to covid-19. According to DeWine, Ohio has four confirmed cases of the virus.

Though Thursday’s game — and others hosted by the Blue Jackets for an undetermined time period — will be closed to the public, admission will be granted to home and visiting club personnel, credentialed media and broadcast partners, essential club and arena staff and NHL officials.

The Blue Jackets said single-game ticket buyers — presumably, some were planning on making the three-hour drive from Pittsburgh — could receive a refund through their point of purchase.

Some pro soccer teams in Europe have been playing games in empty stadiums for weeks. The United States only recently is beginning to feel the ripple effects in regards to keeping fans away from stadiums and arenas.

In addition to the NCAA’s ban on the public at its events this spring, the NBA’s Golden State Warriors are to play Thursday’s home game in a mostly-empty Chase Center in San Francisco. The Ivy league has canceled all of its spring sporting events, and several college basketball conference tournaments will be played without fans.

Today’s Penguins post-practice interview setup. Notice the tape strips laid down at precisely 6 feet from the tables where recording devices sit and players will stand behind. pic.twitter.com/7jkrtXht0K

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) March 11, 2020

The lone tangible disruption from the Penguins thus far has been a ban on media in locker rooms. Wednesday, in a curtained-off storage area of Nationwide Arena, hightop tables were set up for recording devices to be set on while players stood behind them to take questions from media who were required to stand 6 feet away.

In their statement about their intention for allowing ticketed fans into future home games, the Penguins asked those who are sick to stay home and said they will have elevated safety procedures such as sanitary gloves worn by arena workers, regular cleaning/disinfecting of often-touched surfaces and extra hand-sanitizing stations throughout the building.

Keep up with the Pittsburgh Penguins all season long.