Sharks Sports & Entertainment has no plans as of now to reduce staff or ask employees to take a pay cut while the NHL remains on hiatus, a team source confirmed.
Earlier this month, the Sharks announced that part-time employees who were scheduled to work Sharks and Barracuda games at SAP Center in March would still be compensated.
The Sharks were previously scheduled to play at home against the Montreal Canadiens on March 19, the Boston Bruins on March 21 and the Arizona Coyotes on March 29. Sharks home games April 2 against the Dallas Stars and April 4 against the Anaheim Ducks will also not be played as scheduled with the entire state of California under a shelter in place mandate.
All NHL teams are coming to grips with severe financial losses after the league’s March 12 announcement that it was pausing its season for an indefinite amount of time due to growing concern about the spread of the coronavirus. There is no indication yet as to when the league might resume operations.
The Canadiens announced Tuesday they will be temporarily laying off 60% of employees later this month. The Bruins announced Wednesday that effective April 1, 68 full-time salaried employees will be placed on temporary leave and that 82 full-time salaried associates will receive an indefinite salary reduction.
Wednesday, the Raleigh News & Observer reported that full-time Carolina Hurricanes employees will no longer be paid after this week.
Also Wednesday, general manager Jim Nill told ESPN that he and team president Jim Lites have voluntarily taken 50% cuts in pay.
Sharks Sports & Entertainment is the parent company of the San Jose Sharks and San Jose Barracuda, and operates SAP Center, Solar4America Ice locations in San Jose and Fremont and the Sharks Foundation.
Also Wednesday, the league announced the postponement of the scouting combine, the NHL Awards, and the NHL draft. Those events were scheduled for June 1-6 in Buffalo, N.Y., June 18 in Las Vegas, and June 26-27 in Montreal, respectively.
The NHL said the location, timing and format of the draft and draft lottery would be announced “when details are finalized.”
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