Gov. Wolf order: Pittsburgh pro sports teams may return to practice, play without fans

Gov. Tom Wolf issued an order Wednesday afternoon that allows Pittsburgh’s pro sports franchises to return to using their team facilities, albeit without spectators.

The order, which provides guidelines for pro teams in counties in the yellow or green phase of the governor’s plan for reopening, paves the way for teams like the Penguins, Pirates and Steelers to resume practice and play in anticipation of the sports world starting back up after being shut down since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

It comes with conditions: Each team, or the league it plays in, must develop a covid-19 “safety plan” approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Wolf’s order stated it requires “testing or screening and monitoring of all on-venue players and personnel” and “no fans or spectators may be permitted on interior or exterior venue property.”

The Penguins appear to be the closest to returning to play, as the NHL on Monday detailed guidelines for players to resume optional skating in limited groups and voluntary workouts at team facilities potentially by early June.

The Penguins declined to comment specifically on Wolf’s statement, but general manager Jim Rutherford said he was pleased to reach a point where he could “get back to talking about hockey again” on a conference call with reporters Wednesday morning.

“This is an exciting time,” Rutherford said. “We’re hoping that everything has been put together and with all the protocols and everything, that we can keep everybody safe and get our games going again.”

The Pirates, meanwhile, are at the mercy of a staredown between MLB and its players association, who are locked in negotiations over health and safety protocols and player salaries to start the 2020 season. Spring training was halted March 12.

Owners submitted a 67-page health and safety proposal last week and offered an economic plan this week that calls for a sliding scale of pay reductions based on the highest-paid players taking the biggest cuts to offset predicted revenue losses.

If the two sides come to an agreement — they are hoping to do so in the next week to 10 days — Wolf’s order allows the Pirates to conduct a second training camp at PNC Park instead of returning to their minor-league facilities in Bradenton, Fla.

The Pirates did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Steelers started organized team activities Tuesday on a virtual basis. Typically, the team conducts 10 OTA sessions over a three-week period, followed by a three-day minicamp the next week at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side.

They are scheduled to open training camp at the end of July, but Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said on a podcast over the holiday weekend they are contemplating multiple locations along with their traditional home at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.

The Steelers issued a statement Wednesday.

“We opened our facility (to medical personnel and rehabbing players) last Tuesday, May 19, and have adhered to the policies and guidelines from government and health officials as well as the National Football League,” it read. “We appreciate the guidance from the Governor’s office as we make plans to safely prepare for the 2020 season.”

The NFL released a statement last week that said the league is preparing to play the season as scheduled with increased safety measures.

“We will continue to make decisions based on the latest advice of medical and public health officials, as well as in full compliance with current and future government regulations,” the statement read. “Our primary focus will be protecting the health of our fans, players, club and league personnel and our communities.”

In preparing for an approved 24-team playoff for the Stanley Cup, the NHL is targeting opening training camps in early July, though no dates have been set. That would be followed by qualifying and round-robin playoffs, with a late July start considered a best-case scenario.

The Penguins can practice at either PPG Paints Arena or their UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex facility in Cranberry in Butler County, which is also in the yellow phase of the governor’s reopening plan.

“The situation is a little bit fluid for the obvious reason,” Rutherford said. “But now we have somewhat of an understanding of what the guidelines and the dates could be. They’re not hard dates at this point and time, but we have an understanding.

“The first three to four weeks that are coming up are voluntary for the players. We have made our players aware of that. We’ve told the players that the building will be available probably by the end of next week or the start of the following week. And they have to make their own decisions as to whether they are coming back.

“We do have a group of players that are pretty eager to come back and are excited about our team. I would suspect at some point in time in the next couple of weeks that the majority of our players would be back in Pittsburgh.”

Asked if any members of the team had expressed apprehension about potentially returning to the ice because of health concerns related to the coronavirus, Rutherford said, “not to my knowledge.” He also noted that the Penguins will have Dr. Dharmesh Vyas talk to each player to address potential risks.

“I can understand your question and understand why people would be concerned,” Rutherford said. “We’ve been fortunate to this point in Pittsburgh with our numbers. Hopefully, everybody can be disciplined and we can keep it that way.”