The NHL game between the Los Angeles Kings and the Calgary Flames scheduled for Wednesday night has been postponed due to the ongoing wildfires in California.
This is the first sporting event to be affected by the wildfires, with the Los Angeles Lakers still slated to host the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night.
The Kings announced the postponement just before 3 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday afternoon, about eight hours before puck drop.
‘Our hearts are with our entire Los Angeles community. We appreciate the hard working First Responders who are diligently working to contain the fire and protect our community.’
‘We appreciate the Leagues support in keeping our fans, staff, and players safe.’
‘For those with tickets for tonight’s game, please hold on to your tickets. There is nothing you need to do. The tickets will still be valid for the rescheduled date. More information and ticketing options will be communicated directly once the game date and time are confirmed.’
The Los Angeles Kings and the Flames’ game scheduled for Wednesday has been postponed
The NHL also put out a statement announcing the postponement and did not confirm a makeup date for the Western Conference clash.
The game against the Flames is the Kings final contest at Crypto.com Arena until January 20. Los Angeles now has five straight games on the road starting Friday at the Winnipeg Jets.
Finding a date to reschedule the game should not be too difficult, as both Calgary and Los Angeles are in the Pacific Division.
So far, there have been two deaths from the Pacific Palisades fires with thousands of buildings destroyed.
The blaze began around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, shortly after the start of a Santa Ana windstorm that the National Weather service warned could be ‘life-threatening’ and the strongest to hit Southern California in more than a decade.
The winds were expected to increase overnight and continue for days, producing isolated gusts that could top 100mph (160kph) in mountains and foothills – including in areas that haven´t seen substantial rain in months.
