NHL: San Jose Sharks To Require Negative COVID-19 Test Or Proof Of Vaccination For Children 3-11

Are you a grown adult terrified of the potential threat that a disease-carrying child poses to your life? Wouldn’t you like to attend your favorite sporting event without the risk of dropping dead mere days after being exposed to the plague by little Timmy, sitting three rows over in Section F?

Well, we have great news to share with you. No longer will you be forced to cower in fear as Timmy returns to his seat following a $40 outing at the concession stand. 

Timmy is going to have tested negative for COVID-19, injected with the vaccine, or he won’t be at your sporting event at all.   

The San Jose Sharks — and the state of California — are here to protect you. 

“Effective Thursday, December 9, 2021, all guests ages 3-11 who visit SAP Center at San Jose must be fully vaccinated or show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the event,” the Sharks said in a statement. “As announced in August, all guests ages 12 and older are still required to show proof of full vaccination upon entry. These requirements will remain in place until state and local health and safety guidance is revised.” 

As has been the case since August, all attendees 12 and older are required to show proof of vaccination in order to gain entry. 

The new rules will be put in place due to California’s updated mandate, which requires that all attendees three and older must provide either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test in order to enter an indoor event of 1,000 or more people. 

The Sharks organization has been in the news of late, placing forward Evander Kane on waivers following the end of his 21-game suspension without pay for COVID-19 protocol violations.

Kane was suspended in October for submitting a fake vaccination card, and has yet to play a game in the 2021-2022 NHL season. 

“I’ve said this before, management’s done a really good job of limiting the distractions from the players and the staff,” Sharks coach Bob Boughner said. “This announcement today is just another example of that. We like what we have in our room, I think we’ve created a pretty good family atmosphere and culture and we’re going to continue to do that.”

“This sort of now puts this behind us a little bit. Not that it was a big subject in our room to begin with, but it’s nice we’re moving on and we’re focusing on our jobs,” he added. 

While the NHL has not mandated the vaccine for its players, it is heavily encouraged, and the protocols for the unvaccinated are much stricter than for those who have received the vaccine. 

The NHL allows teams to suspend unvaccinated players who are “unable to participate in club activities” due to testing positive for COVID-19. Unvaccinated players are only allowed at the team hotel, practice facility, and arena and are not allowed out at bars and restaurants. 

Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].

The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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