The NHL is set to take Lake Tahoe, with the first of two outdoor games today between the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights. Tomorrow, the outdoor rink will see the Philadelphia Flyers take on the Boston Bruins.
Despite being the closest team geographically to Lake Tahoe (a four-hour drive, versus five hours between Tahoe and Vegas) and the budding, but intense, rivalry between the team and the Golden Knights, the San Jose Sharks weren’t in consideration to play in the event. Gary Bettman explained in January that the considerations for an outdoor event this year weren’t centered around attendance — something that would’ve made the Sharks’ proximity a huge draw — due to the COVID-19 pandemic.