First home game with no audience number restrictions for Kitchener Rangers
The Kitchener Rangers’ 5-1 win over the Sarnia Sting on Friday marked a significant milestone.
It was the first home game at the Aud with a full capacity crowd allowed in the stands, under the province’s recently relaxed restrictions.
“There’s only been six days’ notice compared to three or four months, which is when regular season games are released,” said Rangers COO Joe Birch. “You have that time to prepare.”
While the puck dropped at 7:30, doors were open an hour before and saw lines to get in.
“It’ll be nice to see everybody because it’s been so long since we’ve had this,” one fan said before the game.
Max capacity at The Aud is 7,777, but staff expected just shy of 5,000 of those seats to be filled.
The Rangers usually sell about 5,000 season tickets, but were only able to sell about 65 per cent of that for this season.
Fans have to show proof of double vaccination and wear masks when they’re not eating.
“We’re really happy where we’re at with for tonight’s attendance,” said Birch.
Last Friday, the Rangers were allowed 50 per cent capacity and able to sell out.
Birch adds that, just because they’re not filling up all 7,000 seats this Friday, they’re confident attendance will keep rising in the coming weeks, as pre-pandemic crowds typically started to get bigger after mid-November.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
B.C.'s short-term rental regulations include $10K daily penalties for Airbnb, other platforms
Short-term rental platforms that violate B.C.'s pending regulations can face administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per day, officials announced Thursday.
Closing arguments heard in trial for Sask. dad accused of abducting daughter
Closing arguments were heard Thursday morning in the case of Michael Gordon Jackson, the Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter in 2021 to keep her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.