Kings offer refund and crediting options to season-ticket holders

Two months into the NHL’s suspension of play, and with seemingly little chance of home games being played in Southern California again this campaign, the Kings have begun offering refunds to season-ticket holders.

In a memo sent to season-ticket holders this week, the team offered several refund and crediting options for its seven remaining home games that were postponed when the season was stopped March 12 because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Fans can get full refunds, payments that will begin being processed as soon as possible, according to a team spokesman. Those who get their tickets renewed for the 2020-21 season can use their credits from this year, plus a 10% bonus.

Under one renewal plan, any games that are affected next season — either canceled or played in front of no fans — also will receive a 5% bonus. Another plan will allow fans to defer payments until October after an initial deposit.

The question of ticket refunds has hung over the sports world since the COVID-19 pandemic brought virtually all sports to a halt in March. Previously, the Kings had been issuing refunds only in specific cases, such as to fans who had planned travel to attend games or who had made large-group purchases. Their new announcement comes before the fate of the season has been decided, though no restart plans reportedly receiving consideration include finishing the season at originally scheduled home venues.

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Current proposals include games at “hub” locations in NHL markets across the U.S. and Canada, and Southern California is not believed to be in serious consideration to be one of the host sites, especially after Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Tuesday the area’s “stay-at-home” order could be extended by three months.

That has left teams such as the Kings and Ducks — a request to the Ducks for comment on their ticket refund procedures was not immediately returned —facing potentially months-long delays between home games. Representatives from both teams had been reaching out to season-ticket holders and sponsors in recent weeks as they prepare for what is expected to be a delayed start to the 2020-21 season.

“We’re looking at every situation,” Kings president Luc Robitaille said last month. “You want to be ready. But just when you think you’ve got it figured out, something else happens. So within reason, we’re looking at different scenarios of what Staples Center would look like. What it would look like if there’s a possibility of starting [next] season without fans? When would it start? And then how do we restart having everyone feel comfortable?”

Many of those questions still will need to be answered before regular-season hockey returns to the Southland. This week’s announcement on season-ticket procedures, at the least, addressed one of the most pressing concerns.