The first puck drops on the National Hockey League’s 2021 season this week, and with it will come a trickle of fans for the first time in almost a year. Three arenas will have limited patrons in attendance, a lifeline for teams that rely on ticket sales far more than in more TV-friendly sports like football and basketball.
...Many arenas sped up planned upgrades from three- to six-year plans to the current fiscal year, says Marc Farha, co-CEO at CAA ICON, a project management division of athlete representation giant Creative Artists Agency, which has worked with dozens of teams, including the Penguins and the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, on their re-opening strategies since Covid-19 shuttered buildings in March. “Back of the house” changes at arenas include enhanced cleaning, more robust air filtration systems, and employee safety updates.
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