Canadiens-Flyers game played without fans

The Montreal Canadiens played Thursday night's 3-2 shootout victory against the Philadelphia Flyers behind closed doors

The announcement that fans wouldn't be permitted to attend the contest came just two hours before puck drop.

The Canadiens said they received a request from Quebec public health officials to host Thursday's contest without fans due to the rise of COVID-19 cases in the province. The organization will provide an update Friday on the status of Saturday's game against the Boston Bruins.

Fans who had tickets to the game will be contacted directly by the ticket office.

The organization is planning to return to partial capacity beginning in January.

"Playing tonight's game in a closed setting is obviously disappointing for our fans," the team wrote in a statement that was released during the game.

"We moved forward with the measure following a request from Public Health ... something we accepted in order to help ensure the safety and security of our fans and our communities."

The Bell Centre was granted to operate at full capacity before the start of the regular season.