BREAKING: Sharks to Open Season as Road Team for 2 Games vs. Coyotes, Fans Welcome

San Jose Hockey Now has learned that the San Jose Sharks will open the 2020-21 season as the road team in back-to-back games against the Arizona Coyotes.

Jose Romero of the Arizona Central was among the first to report that the Coyotes’ first game this season will be Jan. 14 against the Sharks at Gila River Arena.

SJHN has confirmed that the San Jose Sharks will be the road team in both teams’ season-opener and the following game.

With SAP Center closed to the Sharks officially until Jan. 8 and probably longer, Gila River Arena is considered a likely candidate to host Sharks home games.

During a normal regular season, back-to-back road games in the same arena would be highly unusual, but this jibes with Chris Johnston’s report that the 2020-21 regular season schedule is “generally grouped in two-game segments against the same opponent.”

NHL teams have started receiving drafts of their 2021 regular-season schedule: It sounds like they're generally grouped in two-game segments against the same opponent, although there's also some three-gamers and I've heard of at least one instance of a four-gamer (!)

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) December 21, 2020

Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now was the first to report that the NHL would be utilizing Major League Baseball-style scheduling this season.

In addition, Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider has reported that Gila River Arena “will have limited capacity in the stands” when the 2020-21 campaign begins.

Coyotes President/CEO Xavier Gutierrez says the team will have limited capacity seating for fans in the stands at Gila River Arena when the season begins. Further details to come.

— Craig Morgan (@CraigSMorgan) December 21, 2020

This means that San Jose Sharks fans will be welcome at Gila River Arena to watch their Sharks open the season.

More on this story as it develops.