Sharks training camp could be moved due to Santa Clara's recent ban on contact sportsGETTY IMAGES
A Sharks spokesperson yesterday said that the team "will not be announcing any decisions about where it might hold training camp or play games until the NHL officially determines" when the '20-21 regular season will begin, according to Curtis Pashelka of the San Jose MERCURY NEWS. If the NHL were to start the regular season in mid-January, a Sharks training camp "could begin as soon as late December." If that is the case and the Santa Clara County contact ban remains in effect, the Sharks and AHL affiliate San Jose Barracuda "would at the very least be forced to move their training camps outside of the county." The AHL is targeting Feb. 5 for its start date for next season. Sharks President Jonathan Becher on Nov. 20 said that the team had been "in discussions with other hockey facilities about relocating San Jose’s training camp, but would not specify where." Las Vegas "could be an option." Great Park Ice in Irvine, Calif., has "four rinks, just opened last year and could be another option if the Sharks are looking at Southern California" (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 12/1).
STANFORD FOOTBALL LIKELY TO MOVE: In San Jose, Shayna Rubin reports Stanford is "expected to move its football team to the Pacific Northwest in response to Santa Clara County’s three-week ban on contact sports." The exact location is "not yet known, or possibly has not yet been determined." Sandford has three games remaining on its schedule, only two of which have known opponents at this time -- both located in the Northwest. The jury is "still out on how and if other Stanford teams will continue their seasons" (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 12/1).
