The NHL postpones a game and the Lakers coach evacuates his family amid LA fires

The National Hockey League postponed a game in Los Angeles, and Pasadena’s iconic Rose Bowl Stadium came under evacuation warning as the wildfires burning across Southern California grew Wednesday.

The NHL announced it would indefinitely delay a game between the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames that had been set to take place Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles.

In a statement on social media, the Kings said the postponement would help keep fans, staff and players safe.

“Our hearts are with our entire Los Angeles community,” the team wrote, thanking first responders.

An NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets is scheduled to take place Thursday at the same arena. As of Wednesday evening, the league had not announced whether it would postpone 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 in a statement to NPR.

Tens of thousands of people are under mandatory evacuation orders across the region. Residents of Pacific Palisades, which include many professional athletes among other celebrities, were told to evacuate on Tuesday.

That included Lakers coach JJ Redick, who said Tuesday his family had evacuated.

“I know a lot of people are freaking out right now, including my family,” he said in a pregame press conference ahead of a game in Dallas. “Thoughts and prayers, for sure, and I hope everybody stays safe.”

The Clippers said their star Kawhi Leonard, who has family in the Los Angeles area, would miss Wednesday’s game in Denver for personal reasons.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said his 90-year-old mother was among the evacuees, and that the family home of a Warriors staff member had been destroyed by the fire.

The city’s two NFL teams, the Rams and the Chargers, had each planned to spend this week preparing for a playoff game. Neither team’s practice facility is directly threatened by fire, but smoke has affected air quality around the region.

On Wednesday, the Chargers adjusted its practice schedule to limit time outdoors. The team is set to travel to Houston later this week for a game against the Texans on Saturday.

In case they’re unable to practice entirely, “Coach [Jim] Harbaugh’s got a great Plan B in place if needed,” said Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman, speaking to the media on Wednesday.

Some of the team’s personnel have been affected directly, including wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal, who lives in the vicinity of the Palisades Fire.

“Last night was a really intense night for him,” Roman said.

The Rams are set to host their playoff game Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings at home at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. In a statement, the NFL said there is a contingency plan to move the game to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., if necessary.

The Chargers cancelled a pre-playoff fan event scheduled for Friday in Sherman Oaks, north of the Palisades Fire. The team said it would donate $200,000 to relief efforts and asked people attending other fan events to bring donations of bottled water, clothes and toiletries for evacuees.

The historic Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, one of the most iconic sites in college football, received an evacuation warning on Wednesday as the Eaton Fire grew to encompass more than 10,000 acres.