The National Hockey League will allow full capacity crowds in 30 of 32 arenas for the 2021-22 season, according to a memo released by the teams this week.

The Vancouver Cancuks will have half capacity crowds and the Montreal Canadiens will have a limited capacity crowd of 33%. The other 30 franchises will welcome capacity crowds when the season starts next month.

Ten teams that will require fans to show proof of vaccination -- the Buffalo Sabers, Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, and Winnipeg Jets.

Eight teams will require fans to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test, including the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, New York Islanders, and St. Louis Blues.

The 14 teams that will not require fans to be vaccinated nor a recent negative test are the Arizona Coyotes, Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Redwings, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, and Washington Capitals.

The memo also stated that 21 teams are requiring masks for fans in their arena’s and there are 25 teams who are requiring masks for children 12 and under. The Ducks, Kings, and Rangers are requiring masks and a negative test for younger fans and the Predators are requiring a mask or a negative test. There are 11 teams that will not require fans to wear a mask to gain entry.

Although the move to have full capacity crowds at almost all NHL arenas may make fans happy, the recent move has been very concerning for Canadian healthcare professionals and infectious disease experts believe doing so is asking for serious trouble.

Emergency-room physician Shazma Mithani in Edmonton termed packed arenas a "terrible idea."

"It’s ridiculous you can go to an Oilers game and drink a beer shoulder-to-shoulder with someone else and yell when McDavid scores a goal, sending droplets everywhere, while our hospitals are bursting at the seams,” Mithani added.

Alberta Health Services claim the province is facing the most-dire health crisis in its history as surgeries are being canceled to treat unvaccinated COVID-19 patients. Doctors are very close to deciding who receives care and who doesn’t.

"Things are so desperate," infectious disease doctor Ilan Schwartz to TSN. "In all of Alberta, we have 340 ICU beds. We are literally 10 patients away from having to start choosing who gets treatment and who does not."

“It’s jarring that we are asking other provinces to take our patients and at the same time having full hockey arenas that will lead to further spread of COVID-19," said Edmonton critical care doctor Noel Gibney.

According to NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, the NHL will have 98% of its players fully vaccinated by opening night.

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