Editorial: Let the Penguins grow safely to 25% capacity

A hockey game is an attempt to control chaos. It is all about advancing toward a goal while sliding on an uncertain surface, balanced on the edge of a blade. Being slammed out of the blue by an unexpected blow that throws everything off course.

Sounds like a description of life during a pandemic, but it’s what happens for 60 minutes on the ice.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are a team that extends beyond the six guys in play at any given time. They are, like any sports organization, bigger than that — extending from coaches and trainers to the front office decision-makers to the people who sell the tickets, make the hot dogs and empty the trash.

Forbes Magazine ranks the Penguins organization’s net worth at $650 million, but even that doesn’t truly reflect the value of the game being played. It is more than just the paychecks the front office writes. It is all of the other businesses — the parking lots, restaurants, merchandise vendors and more — that score when the puck drops at PPG Paints Arena.

That is why Pennsylvania needs to work with the Penguins to open the arena to more fans.

What happens between the first faceoff and the last horn is so much bigger than who wins and who loses and where the team stands in the NHL. Those may be big pieces in a normal year, but amid the coronavirus pandemic, the team’s role as an economic player is more important.

Pennsylvania allows businesses to operate at 75% capacity and self-certified restaurants and bars to seat 50% of their indoor tables. The rules are different, however, for an indoor venue the size and scope of PPG Paints Arena. At present, the 18,387-seat space is allowed to have up to 500 people gather at games.

Penguins Chief Operating Officer Kevin Acklin said the organization has invested millions in safety upgrades, including touchless concessions and improved airflow quality. Steps have been taken to maximize social distancing, both by physical spacing and staggered timing. They are working off protocols they developed in cooperation with UPMC to maximize health and cleanliness — and be able to reopen with 25% capacity.

The team — and all of those businesses and individuals who depend on the money it brings in and shells out — just need an assist from the governor.

The Penguins have submitted a proposal to the state for gradually increasing the spectator capacity to 25%. It should be given serious consideration, as covid vaccinations continue and infection numbers decline.

The Penguins are all about following the science, not flouting rules. “It is in our best interest to be as safe as possible,” said Acklin. The team doesn’t want to play to packed houses yet — and most fans aren’t ready for that either. The team doesn’t want to do anything that would wind up putting them in the penalty box instead of on the scoreboard.

The state should recognize and reward that, using the team as an example of how to make safe, smart moves as we all move cautiously out of this public health crisis.