MLSE applauds return of fans
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Monday’s announcement by the Ontario government of a fast-tracked pace of re-opening sports venues to fans was a hit with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, whose two principal tenants have endured two more months of empty buildings.
The Leafs and basketball Raptors can return to 50% capacity on Thursday and to full houses as early as March 1 — if COVID-19 case counts keep dropping. Should those numbers remain too high, March 14 is the fallback date.
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The Leafs have a home game Thursday against Pittsburgh and two more later this month, while the Raptors aren’t back at Scotiabank Arena until March 1.
“Following the announcement this morning by the Ontario government, MLSE is very pleased to begin working towards the next phase of re-opening this week and welcoming fans back to our venues,” the company stated in a release.
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“As an organization that hosts more than four million fans per year, and hundreds of events in multiple venues, MLSE is proud to serve as a central gathering place in Toronto and is fully supportive of the public health measures that have helped protect our community throughout the pandemic. MLSE is also grateful for the tireless work by the Provincial government and public health officials that will allow us to return to full operations in a safe manner for our employees, fans and the community at large on March 1.”
Since mid-December when the Omicron variant swept the continent, SBA has been a ghost town as the government took a hard line on possible public transmissions.
“Season seat members and the general public will begin receiving communications today to outline logistics for ticket allocations over the coming weeks,” the MLSE statement continued, “as well as a determination regarding vaccine mandate protocols that will be made in the coming days based on further discussions with public health officials.
“MLSE thanks all employees, partners and fans for their commitment to protecting our city and fellow citizens throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and their continued support in the weeks ahead.”
The NHL Ottawa Senators, AHL Toronto Marlboros and Belleville Senators and Ontario Hockey League junior teams are also looking forward to relaxed crowd restrictions.
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