The Tribune-Review reports Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf increased state-wide gathering-size limits tied to indoor and outdoor venue sizes. This announcement would seem to clear the way for unmodified ice hockey games to begin as early as this Friday.
According to the report:
“Indoor events are limited to 10% to 20% of capacity, depending upon the venue’s size, and outdoor events can admit 15% to 25%.”
“The largest venues are capped at 3,750 individuals indoors and 7,500 outdoors.” –Tribune-Review’s Report
On first read of these revised regulations, this would seem to greatly benefit venues such as Hersheypark Arena, which could hold hockey games with hundreds of spectators and still comply with the guidelines. The players, coaches, and officials are also distanced significantly from the spectators.
But 10% of capacity at the typical indoor, single-sheet ice rink would most likely be 50 or greater, which is the magic number for playing an amateur hockey game with two 20-player rosters plus coaches, a crew of officials, and minor officials such as the score-keeper and time keeper.