CONFIRMED: 49ers Will Have to Move 1/3 Game, Santa Clara County Ban Extended to 1/8

It’s confirmed: Santa Clara County has told San Jose Hockey Now that the contact sports ban will extend past December 21st, to at least January 8th.

For the San Jose Sharks, this means that they will not be able to open training camp at Solar4America Ice in San Jose. For the San Francisco 49ers, this means that their scheduled January 3rd game at Levi’s Stadium will have to be re-located.

Via e-mail, a County of Santa Clara spokeperson told SJHN: “County of Santa Clara restrictions are aligning with the timing of state restrictions, which given the current regional Bay Area metrics are in place for three weeks through at least Jan. 8. This includes restrictions related to recreational activities, sports, and travel.”

San Jose Hockey asked, for clarity, “This applies to the 49ers — and their scheduled 1/3 home game against Seahawks — and anything the Sharks would like to do in SCC?”

The County of Santa Clara spokeperson replied: “That is correct.”

So what does this mean for the San Jose Sharks?

Well…we don’t know. All we know for sure is that the Sharks won’t be able to skate at Solar4America in San Jose through 1/8. If NHL training camp opens around New Year’s Day, as previously reported, it won’t be happening there.

An NHL source said yesterday, in regards to the Sharks starting the season at SAP Center, “It’s still up in the air.”

Now this is speculation: But assuming this highly-placed source wasn’t talking about the Sharks opening the season on January 13th, he might have been hinting at a later start to the season.

The news today, regarding the prospective “Canadian division” teams playing all of their games in the United States, suggests it’s not just the San Jose Sharks’ situation that’s in flux.

It seems like everything involved with a 2020-21 NHL season is “up in the air.”

San Jose Hockey Now is awaiting comment from the San Francisco 49ers.