Penguins preparing to welcome fans back at Mohegan Sun Arena
Mar. 1—Mohegan Sun Arena is opening its doors to hockey fans once again.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins announced Monday that a limited number of fans will be allowed entry into home games at the Wilkes-Barre Twp. facility starting March 19. Earlier in the day, Gov. Tom Wolf announced that capacity at indoor events could be increased to 15% amid the coronavirus pandemic, regardless of venue size.
In a video call with reporters, Penguins President and CEO Jeff Barrett said the team has been examining various attendance models for months in preparation.
"Once we got the word from the governor knowing what the capacity was, when it could come into effect, then we were allowed to put the polish on the shoes," Barrett said. "We need to now go through the details and figure out what we have to do to move forward. But we've been working on that, and we're very excited about that."
Season ticket holders will be given priority for tickets with access to pre-sale dates, based on their current ticket plans. Barrett said the first batch of tickets for March will be available to them next Monday, while the general public will be allowed to purchase any leftovers starting March 16.
All tickets will be mobile to accommodate contactless entry. Season ticket holders will not be penalized if they decide not to attend, with the option to roll games over for next season.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has a total of 10 home games currently scheduled between Mar. 19 and May 12.
Fans attending games will be required to adhere to social distancing protocols, with masks mandatory for all fans over the age of 2. Barrett said there will be at least two empty seats left and right of each seating pod and two rows between them, as well.
In a statement, the team said the arena is undergoing numerous enhancements to ensure patron safety, including the installation of touchless bathroom fixtures, plexiglass partitions around concessions areas and the removal of fabric seating with vinyl coverings.
"We were not going to do anything that would jeopardize the safety of our players, our fans or employees," Barrett said. "We feel pretty comfortable on the players side; we've been doing that for the last few months and, with the games going on, we think that's been highly successful.
"That's why we're waiting for the 19th. We have two home games before that, but we want to make sure the building has everything done from touchless restrooms to all the other improvements (the arena) is making to make it as safe as possible for the fans."
Teams around the American Hockey League have taken different approaches to fan entry amid the pandemic. Last week, for example, the Rochester Americans elected not to allow spectators this season despite permission from the New York state government.
Down the turnpike in Allentown, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms were allowing a limited of season ticket holders even before Monday's announcement from the governor.
AHL teams are reliant on gate revenue, meaning this season has been a financial burden with no or very few fans in attendance. This is a step in the right direction in that regard, and Barrett said it will help generate interest in a young and exciting Penguins roster. The team is currently on a three-game win streak and faces Syracuse on Wednesday.
"I don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but hopefully it is the beginning of the end and things continue to go in the correct direction with the vaccines and COVID," Barrett said. "It gives us a lot of optimism."
Contact Tyler at tpiccotti@citizensvoice.com or 570-821-2089.
