DULUTH, Ga. — Atlanta's professional minor league hockey team, the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL, announced on Friday that they would be suspending the 2020-2021 season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The team normally plays its games at the Infinite Energy Arena in Duluth.
Gladiators team officials said in a release that in accordance with state and local COVID-19 regulations, the arena has implemented a 25% capacity limit on all events with strict social distancing.
According to the release, those restrictions greatly hinder the team's ability to conduct regular business, forcing them to suspend the upcoming season.
“This is a decision we do not make lightly,” Gladiators team president Jerry James said. “Everyone in our organization has pushed to find ways to make this season happen, but the economic viability of our business and the health of our community must be the priority. That is the bottom line for the decision to enact the league’s COVID-19 voluntary suspension policy.”
On Friday, the league, working in conjunction with the Professional Hockey Players' Association, announced plans to begin the 2020-21 season in December under a split-season format.
The league says they plan to have 13 teams begin playing on December 11, with the remaining teams of the league beginning their season on January 15, depending on local jurisdictional approvals.
The Gladiators play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. Season ticket holders should expect correspondence from their Gladiators sales representatives in the coming weeks, according to the release. The team says they are committed to providing incentives for rolling forward current ticket and sponsorship packages into the 2021-22 season.
"We will return to the ice for the '21-'22 season," James said. "We have been here for the last 17 years, a staple in this community. We will be here for the next 17 years."
With the Gladiators opting to suspend their operations for this season, according to the league, all Atlanta players have been declared free agents for the 2020-21 season.
“Our ECHL Members have been looking forward to getting back on the ice since March 16, and providing the fans with exciting hockey in a safe environment,” said PHPA Executive Director Larry Landon.
The ECHL was forced to suspend its 2019-20 season in March as the effects of the pandemic continued to grow.
“The ECHL is excited to be able to confirm the beginning of the 2020-21 Season by working with our local health officials and the PHPA to develop protocols for the safe return of our Players, fans, and employees,” said ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin. “The ECHL is getting back to hockey, as we all work together to bring live entertainment back to our communities.”
The league says they plan to conclude the 2020-21 season on June 6, 2021. They said they will release a schedule for December and January in the near future.