Quebec Premier Francois Legault announced it as part of Quebec’s plan to reopen and ease COVID-19 restrictions.
Francois Legault spoke today to announce his plan to reopen the province and ease COVID-19 restrictions as cases go down and the number of vaccinated people increases. Part of the plan is to allow for indoor shows or events with 250 people per section or 2,500 in total.
That plan will come into effect on May 28 when the province will end its current curfew and open restaurant patios. Most of the province will go from red zones to yellow zones meaning bars can also open. Earlier today Dr. Howard Njoo, deputy chief public health officer, announced they still hadn’t confirmed or looked at fans being in attendance for the NHL playoffs.
The Montreal Canadiens sent out the following statement after the press conference announcing they were pleased with the news and will be ready to host 2,500 fans (or 12% capacity of the Bell Centre).
"“We are delighted with the government’s decision regarding shows and events. Although the number of spectators remains limited, we applaud this decision which allows us to foresee an eventual return to normality. Regarding the Montreal Canadiens and the playoffs, under the new rules, the Bell Centre will initially accommodate 2,500 people – or about 12% of capacity – for a hockey game beyond May 28. We really missed our fans and spectators and we can’t wait to host them again. And we will be ready.”"
This statement was made by France Margaret Bélanger, the Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for the Montreal Canadiens.
Basically, this means that if the Canadiens wanted a chance to play in front of fans, they would have to make it to game 6 of their series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Currently, expectations have been exceeded in La Belle Province with already 75% of the Quebec population receiving their first dose, and they are anticipating an earlier target date for the majority of the province to have both shots.
This, in my opinion, is a huge step in the right direction. Although having 2,500 fans in a building that can sit almost 22,000 is not ideal, with how loud Habs fans are, it should give the team an added boost if they are able to make it that far in the series.
Most analysts have the Canadiens losing to the Maple Leafs in four or five games, but I am optimistic it will come down to a game 7. And game 6 will be a pivotal game in the series.