In the middle of a set of two games against the Sharks, Vegas Golden Knights had to fight and change hotels in San Jose because the league’s designated place of lodging suddenly filed for bankruptcy, according to several reports.
Citing financial difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fairmont Hotel, a landmark in downtown San Jose, has closed its doors, but said it will reopen and resume operations in two to three months, according to the San Jose Mercury News .
This undermines the NHL’s plans to host visiting teams in San Jose, and the Golden Knights, not long after their 5-4 victory over the Sharks on Friday night, had to gather their belongings and switch locations. hosting.
“It was a surreal experience,” Golden Knights coach Pete DeBoer told Las Vegas Sun. “I hope this is the end of the year for COVID, but it was almost the top of the cake for what last year was for everyone in the world. Just one more thing thrown at you, another thing to deal with.
“Not that I’m thinking about the same thing as dealing with COVID, but it was just one of those things that threw us, we dealt with it.”
Max Pacioretty scored his second goal in the game in Friday’s overtime, taking the Golden Knights to victory, which raised Vegas’s winning streak to five. But the enthusiasm was stopped shortly after the goal.
“It’s probably new to everyone on our team,” said Vegas defender Nick Holden.
The Golden Knights face the Sharks on Saturday night to close the consecutive set before traveling to Minnesota to meet the Wild.
But the question of accommodation will continue in San Jose. The Fairmont was the destination of all Sharks’ opponents, and with the St. Louis Blues heading to San Jose on Monday, a new hotel strategy will need to be outlined by the league.
Mercury News reported that Fairmont, an 805-room hotel, is trying to find an administrative partner and extend its existing mortgage debt. The newspaper also reported that the hotel’s general debt is between $ 100 million and $ 500 million.