Few Certainties Facing Local Junior Hockey Leagues
The PJHL intends to hit the ice this Fall.
That’s all we know.
“At this point there are three or four possible models on the table if we have a season, Hockey Canada and the OHF are ready to move ahead, that being said they are leaving the responsibility of how we operate up to the communities for obvious reasons with the facilities and social distancing,” said PJHL Western Conference Manager Mark Hagerman.
One of the main concerns is paying the bills for local teams. If fans are not allowed into arenas, most local hockey teams will not have the finances to compete.
“Much will depend on how many fans teams can have in the facilities and how they will address dressing rooms cleaning and ice scheduling.”
Another concern is crossing regional boundaries while travelling to face opponents, along with the inability to isolate teams and staff.
For Hagerman, he says it’s too early to even begin to speculate how a season would look, if one even takes place.
With Chatham-Kent’s arenas closed until September, a later than usual start is almost guaranteed.
“It’s really too early to imagine how this will play out,” said Hagerman. “We are hoping that the numbers drop for cases in this part of Ontario and that we can operate in as normal a fashion as possible. If I hear anything different I will definitely communicate that with you.”