Penguins receive approval to play to limited capacity

Hockey nights in Pittsburgh will involve fans once again as soon as Tuesday.

On Monday, the Penguins received approval from Gov. Tom Wolf and the Pa. Department of Health to open PPG Paints Arena to 15% capacity (2,800).

To date, the Penguins have been limited to having only 500 people in the venue for games, including players, coaches, team employees and family of those groups, as well as arena employees and media.

The Penguins will be able to host fans as soon as Tuesday when they play the Philadelphia Flyers. Tickets will be made available on a priority basis to season ticket holders only.

The Penguins have 20 home games remaining on their schedule.

“It is a great day for hockey, indeed, and we are very excited for our fans,” David Morehouse, Penguins president and CEO, said in a statement. “We are grateful to Gov. Wolf, Health Secretary Alison Beam and their team for their continuous communication and support. We also are thankful for the help and guidance we received from our partners at UPMC for helping us to prepare a detailed plan for a safe re-opening, as well as County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto. We are focused on giving our fans the safest and most efficient experience possible inside PPG Paints Arena — where they belong.”

Seating will be limited to groups of two and four to allow for social distancing. Fans will be given suggested arrival times and gates to enter based upon the location of their seats.

A series of policies will be implemented for fans attending games including:

• Tickets will be limited to mobile devices.

• All guests will be asked several questions upon arrival in a health screening.

• Face masks are mandatory for all guests over age 2.

• All bags are prohibited with the exceptions of medical bags and diaper bags.

The Penguins’ most recent home game with full capacity came March 8, 2020.