San Jose Sharks Travel To Utah Halted By FAA Grounding Order

The San Jose Sharks team plane never took off on Friday as the team tried to leave for their road game against the Utah Mammoth.

The FAA ordered a nationwide grounding of all flights in the USA at 12:54 p.m. That was right after the Sharks’ practice concluded, with many players and staff either headed to or already at the airport.

SHD had heard from a source that the Sharks hadn’t even attempted to take off before the FAA issued a ground order. Another source informed SHD that the team had at least deplaned, meaning they aren’t just sitting on the tarmac waiting for something to change.

The San Jose Sharks have since confirmed to local media that the team is still in the area, but that an update on their official departure status is not yet known. When there is an update on their potential departure, the team will provide one.

As it stands now, there is no official timeline for when the official ground order will be lifted by the FAA. In general, NHL teams fly the day before a game during the regular season. Depending on when the ground order ends, that might not be possible.

SHD reached out to Elliotte Friedman to confirm what might happen if the Sharks can’t leave on Friday for their Saturday game. Friedman told SHD that if the Sharks can’t leave today, the game would not be canceled if it is still possible to fly in and arrive before the official game time. If that changes and the team can’t get to Utah before the game, that is when the NHL could step in to cancel and eventually reschedule.

Sharks Hockey Digest will continue to provide updates on the team’s status and the game as more information becomes available.