Due to numerous large wildfires raging around the greater Los Angeles area, the NHL postponed the Los Angeles Kings’ home game against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.
The Kings’ downtown arena was set to host the Kings and Flames on Wednesday night. On Thursday night, the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA will play the Charlotte Hornets in the same arena.
“Our hearts are with our entire Los Angeles community,” the Kings said in a statement. “We are grateful to the diligent first responders who are fighting to safeguard our town and contain the fire. We value the league’s assistance in ensuring the safety of our players, employees, and supporters.
The West Coast Conference also stated that the Pepperdine women’s basketball team had postponed its home game against the University of Portland, which was originally set for Thursday night at Firestone Field House on the school’s Malibu campus. Access to Pepperdine’s coastal campus is restricted, and classes were postponed on Wednesday.
The NFL is closely monitoring how the fires may affect the preparations of the two Los Angeles teams headed to the playoffs as well as the Rams’ wild-card postseason game against the Minnesota Vikings, which is set for Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
If the game were to be rescheduled, the NFL announced Wednesday night that the Arizona Cardinals’ home field, State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, would host it.
A Monday night regular-season game between the Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers was rescheduled by the league in 2003 because of wildfires to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.
After two days of unusual winds, three large fires were still blazing in parts of the sprawling Los Angeles metroplex on Wednesday. More than 1,000 buildings have been damaged, and at least 70,000 people are under evacuation orders.
Both the Los Angeles Chargers and the Rams train in locations that are not at risk of fire, but they are keeping an eye on the air quality and how it can affect their training.
While the Rams don’t start practicing again until Thursday, the Chargers rescheduled their Wednesday practices to limit their players’ outdoor time in coastal El Segundo. The Chargers will play the Houston Texans on the road on Saturday in the wild-card round.
To cut down on playing time, coach Jim Harbaugh had the Chargers’ offensive and defensive units practice independently. When the offense started their afternoon session, the air quality at the team’s complex was 185. More than 150 is seen as unhealthy.
Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter stated, “We’re trying to keep everybody safe and healthy as much as possible while also getting our preparation done for the game.”
One of the communities impacted by the wildfires is Calabasas, where wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal resides. Lal and his family had “an intense night” coping with power disruptions, according to offensive coordinator Greg Roman.
According to the Rams, neither employees nor players were impacted by the fires. The team’s headquarters are in Woodland Hills, a community in the Santa Monica Mountains that is around 13 miles north of the Pacific Palisades, which had been devastated by fire.
Cooper Kupp, a standout Rams receiver, posted on social media, “Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the fires,” “Thank you to the firefighters, first responders, and everyone else doing their best in unfathomable circumstances.”
Kawhi Leonard, a standout for the Los Angeles Clippers, left the team unexpectedly Wednesday before their game against Denver for what the franchise said were personal reasons. In 2021, Leonard purchased a home in Pacific Palisades.
“You must surely take care of your house… has my full support,” stated Tyronn Lue, coach of the Clippers. “Returning, making sure his family and children are doing well. I’m really glad and grateful that he returned and that they’re doing well.”
The Hornets of the NBA arrived in Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon as planned. The matchup against the Lakers is still set for Thursday.
“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,” Mike Bass, an NBA spokesman, said on Wednesday.
The fire north of Pasadena, a few miles east of the historic Rose Bowl in another canyon, has claimed the lives of at least five individuals. ESPN LA 710’s radio transmitter was also damaged in the Altadena fire, and USC declared the station would not be able to broadcast the play-by-play coverage of Wednesday’s Trojans women’s basketball game against Maryland or men’s basketball game against Indiana.
“My heart is with our entire LA community and everyone affected by these devastating fires,” Jennifer Cohen, the athletic director at USC, posted on social media. “So grateful for the heroic efforts of the fire fighters and first responders.”
The Kings stated that tickets for their postponed game versus Calgary will still be valid for the as-yet-undetermined new date.
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This report was written by AP Sports Writer Joe Reedy from El Segundo and AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds from Miami.
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