TAMPA, Fla. — The NHL will no longer require teams to make guests wear masks while in their arenas. The rule change is effective beginning with Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
In a memorandum Friday, the hockey league said each club would be free to establish their own face covering policies for fans – subject to applicable local government regulations.
"Please be advised that this update is limited to spectators attending NHL Games," the NHL explained. "This update does not affect or change the applicable provisions in the COVID-19 Protocol(s) governing face covering requirements for Club Personnel (Club employees or Players), League Personnel, vendors, or any personnel involved in the production of the Game (e.g., broadcast personnel, photographers), all of whom remain required to wear face coverings in all NHL arenas in accordance with the existing provisions of the COVID-19 Protocol."
As for the Tampa Bay Lightning, a team spokesperson said no decision had yet been made about whether face covering rules would be changing at AMALIE Arena. Presently, cloth face coverings are required for fans over the age of 2 while inside the arena, except when actively eating or drinking.
The Lightning are scheduled to take on the Carolina Hurricanes, a division rival, Sunday afternoon at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Beyond face coverings, the NHL is also making some other COVID-policy-related adjustments.
Friday's memorandum added that plexiglass shielding behind both the home and visiting teams' penalty boxes would be reinstalled. There will be a "buffer zone" around the boxes, and no fans will be allowed to sit directly behind or beside the shields.
"The reinstallation of plexiglass behind the penalty box areas shall occur in the home arenas of the remaining U.S.-based Clubs only (as there are higher rates of Fully-Vaccinated individuals than in Canada)," the NHL wrote. "Reinstallation of plexiglass shielding in the home arenas of the Canadian Clubs will be reassessed at a later date as vaccination rates increase."
Plexiglass shielding behind team benches can be reinstalled if clubs are fully-vaccinated and certain requirements are met, as laid out in the memorandum.
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