The National Hockey League postponed a game in Los Angeles, and Pasadena’s iconic Rose Bowl Stadium came under evacuation warning as the wildfires burning across Southern California continued to grow.
The NHL announced it would indefinitely delay a game between the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames that had been set to take place Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles.
In a statement on social media, the Kings said the postponement would help keep fans, staff and players safe.
“Our hearts are with our entire Los Angeles community,” the team wrote, thanking first responders.
An NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets is scheduled to take place Thursday at the same arena. As of Wednesday evening, the league had not announced whether it would postpone the game.
“We are in communication with the Lakers and Hornets and continue to closely monitor the situation to determine if any scheduling adjustments are necessary related to tomorrow night’s game,” NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said in a statement to NPR.
Tens of thousands of people are under mandatory evacuation orders across the region. Residents of Pacific Palisades, which include many professional athletes among other celebrities, were told to evacuate on Tuesday.
That included Lakers coach JJ Redick, who said Tuesday his family had evacuated.
“I know a lot of people are freaking out right now, including my family,” he said in a pregame press conference ahead of a game in Dallas. “Thoughts and prayers, for sure, and I hope everybody stays safe.”
The Clippers said their star Kawhi Leonard, who has family in the Los Angeles area, would miss Wednesday’s game in Denver for personal reasons.
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said his 90-year-old mother was among the evacuees, and that the family home of a Warriors staff member had been destroyed by the fire.
The city’s two NFL teams, the Rams and the Chargers, had each planned to spend this week preparing for a playoff game. Neither team’s practice facility is directly threatened by fire, but smoke has affected air quality around the region.
On Wednesday, the Chargers adjusted its practice schedule to limit time outdoors. The team is set to travel to Houston later this week for a game against the Texans on Saturday.
Image courtesy of Bloomberg Finance
