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Every Sporting Event Postponed or Impacted By Los Angeles Wildfires

As wildfires spread throughout Los Angeles County, a number of sporting events have been canceled, postponed or otherwise impacted in the area.

Dan Lyons

A general overall aerial view of SoFi Staidum with Super Bowl LVI logo projected on the roof. Super Bowl LVI will be played at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 13, 2022.
A general overall aerial view of SoFi Staidum with Super Bowl LVI logo projected on the roof. Super Bowl LVI will be played at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 13, 2022. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

At least three significant fires are currently spreading throughout Los Angeles County—the Palisades fire, Eaton fire and Hurst fire—aided by an unseasonably dry winter and powerful Santa Ana winds gusting through the region. At least 70,000 Los Angelenos have been ordered to evacuate, according to CNN, with hundreds of thousands losing power as a result of the fires. L.A.'s Wildfire Alliance has already deemed it the most destructive set of wildfires in the city's recorded history.

Local leagues have started to postpone sporting events in and around Los Angeles, with others monitoring the spread and impact of the fires. The NHL's Los Angeles Kings have postponed Wednesday night's game against the Calgary Flames, which was set to begin at 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 PT). The game has not yet been rescheduled.

"Tonight's game against Calgary has been postponed," the Kings said in a statement. "Our hearts are with our entire Los Angeles community. We appreciate the hard working First Responders who are diligently working to contain the fire and protect our community. We appreciate the league's support in keeping our fans, staff and players safe. For those with tickets for tonight's game, please hold onto your tickets. There is nothing you need to do. The tickets will still be valid for the rescheduled date. More information and ticketing options will be communicated directly once the game date and time are confirmed."

The Kings will hit the road later in the week, and don't have another home game scheduled until Jan. 20 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The West Coast Conference, a midmajor Division I NCAA league, announced on Wednesday afternoon that Thursday's women's basketball game between Pepperdine and Portland at the Waves' Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif. has been postponed.

Pepperdine has not made any announcements about further games. The men's volleyball team hosts Merrimack on Friday evening, and both Waves basketball teams are scheduled to host Loyola Marymount on Saturday.

L.A.'s biggest upcoming sporting event is Monday's night's Los Angeles Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings wild-card game. The NFL is monitoring the wildfires and in a Wednesday evening statement, confirmed that the game is currently slated to be played as scheduled. Should the game need to be relocated, it would move to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

The Los Angeles Lakers are scheduled to host the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night at 10:30 p.m. ET. The NBA says it is monitoring the situation in the lead-up to the game.

"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,” NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

As of Wednesday afternoon, at least 13 local high schools and school districts have canceled sporting events, according to a list maintained by the Los Angeles Daily News.

The wildfires have also impacted ESPN's airwaves. NBA Today, which typically airs from Los Angeles at 3 p.m. ET, was preempted by an edition of SportsCenter from Bristol, Conn. on Wednesday. The network will do the same with NBA Countdown at 6:30 p.m. ET. SportsCenter hosts will also sub-in for ESPN's NBA halftime show for Wednesday night's game between the league's two best teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder, as well as the late game between the Milwaukee Bucks and San Antonio Spurs, per Front Office Sports.

The Los Angeles Chargers, the No. 5 seed in the AFC, are on the road at the Houston Texans to open their playoff run and will likely not host a playoff game unless they face the Pittsburgh Steelers or Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game. The L.A. Clippers will host the Hornets on Saturday night. The Anaheim Ducks are on the road until Jan. 21.

Check back here for more updates on Los Angeles area sporting events impacted by the wildfires.

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Dan Lyons
DAN LYONS

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