The inside of the Scotiabank Centre will look radically different for Halifax Mooseheads games this season.
The team unveiled its ticket plan on Tuesday, announcing capacity will be less than 20 per cent than normal because of COVID-19 restrictions. The Scotiabank Centre holds 10,595 people but there will be limited seating because of social distancing requirements and no access to the upper bowl.
“After an unprecedented spring and summer, the Halifax Mooseheads are thrilled to be on the verge of returning to the ice for another exciting season of QMJHL hockey," Mooseheads majority owner Bobby Smith said in a news release. "We've altered our schedule. We've changed our seating plan. We've worked hand in hand with our partners at Scotiabank Centre to provide a safe, responsible environment for players, fans, arena staff and members of our organization. We can't wait to get back to doing what we enjoy most: playing great hockey in front of the best hockey fans anywhere!”
The Mooseheads had to suspend traditional season ticket and 15-game packages for 2020-21 because of the crunch on supply. They have created two new 15-game bundles that have set games and have offered them to their season members on Sept. 15, followed by 15-game pack holders on Sept. 17. Fans who opt not to purchase a package this season will retain their standing in the ticket program for next year.
In a letter to fans, the organization acknowledged there could be shortages and imperfections with the plan but are asking for understanding in what is an unprecedented season. The hope is to return to normal practices for the 2021-22 season.
"This season will be unlike any other in Moose Country," the letter read. "We understand that the plan and the protocols put in place may not be ideal for everyone and some fans will take issue with it. Unfortunately, there is no perfect solution or playbook to follow in this situation. Together we must commit and comply to the important guidelines that Public Health, the Province of Nova Scotia and the QMJHL have mandated. We have been awarded a great opportunity that other leagues, players and fans have not been given so we cannot take it for granted."
Some of the restrictions for games include: assigned entrances and washrooms, masks at all times, standard distancing and sanitizing practices, modifed concessions access and bubbles of up to 200 people, with ticket groupings of two to six inside those bubbles.
The Mooseheads open their season against the Cape Breton Eagles on the road on Oct. 2, followed by a rematch in Halifax on Oct. 3.
