Optimism followed by cancellations have been the order of the day for the WHL, and like many sports organizations, they remain in limbo waiting for something, anything to break when it comes to the continuing spread of the modern-day plague.
But unlike other groups that have completely closed down, the premier junior hockey league in Canada is keeping a hard focus on the future.
And earlier this month, the decision was made: there WILL be WHL hockey this season. One way or another, and whenever it happens.
“That’s the plan, there’s a significant commitment from ownership in the Western Hockey League to offer some sort of season to our players,” said Moose Jaw Warriors general manager Alan Millar. “Even if that’s a development season without a championship at the end of the day, those things are still to be determined.
“Our league offices between the four provinces and two states are working with governments and working with health authorities and doing everything we can to put a season together starting sometime in February or March.”
It will be a weird one, to be sure.
Right now, the plan is to take the ice for a 24-game season, with games played exclusively on weekends and, as of the moment, no fans in the building. Teams will also play intra-division only, meaning a steady diet of Regina Pats, Saskatoon Blades, Prince Albert Raiders, Swift Current Broncos, Brandon Wheat Kings and Winnipeg Ice games -— four against each — would be in the cards.
No official schedule or plan is in place for a start just yet. But don’t be surprised to see regular season hockey on a balmy late spring evening.
“I think at the end of the day, if there’s no Conference and WHL Championship and no Memorial Cup, then it does give the league the flexibility to play longer,” Millar explained. “But at the same time we want to get into some normalcy next September and October and we want to hopefully start a full schedule with fans and accommodate our players in the off-season as well. So we could see hockey going into May and June, but I don’t think it would be much later than that.”
The idea of weekend-only games — and games against a single opponent each weekend — is purely based on preventing the spread of COVID in the worst-case scenario.
“That’s part of the discussion, with the understanding that everything we do, the most important thing is the health and safety of all our participants,” said Millar, who is well aware of what can happen if COVID takes hold of a team, having been part of the two-week Team Canada quarantine prior to the World Junior championship.
“With weekend games, have those days in between in case there’s any virus matters. Teams can play a home-and-home against one team so if there are any positive tests that it’s limited to two teams and not spreading among three or four teams over a weekend.
So we’ll do whatever we can to get these games going, working with the government and with health and safety at the forefront.”
As tough as it’ll be, it appears as of right now, fans won’t be allowed to attend games, even with spacing and limited seating like that seen during the Moose Jaw AAA Warriors’ abbreviated season.
That could change if pandemic conditions improve, though.
“It’s a day-to-day, week-to-week thing where if we get up and going with no fans and at some point cases are going down or it’s distribution of the vaccine and there are opportunities to let limited fans in, we’ll address that as we go,” Millar said.
Then, of course, there’s the reason for it all: the players. With standouts like Warriors forward Ryder Korczak expected to be a first-round NHL draft pick, NHL prospects like Daemon Hunt looking to see real game action, and future elite players like Denton Mateychuk set to make their full-season debut, there’s plenty on the line even in a short, short season.
“This is all about our players,” Millar said matter-of-factly. “They’re the most important people in the game. They’re student athletes, there are guys who are in their draft year, we have guys who are drafted and need to develop and need to get ready to have a chance to play pro hockey. We have players who are on scholarships and want to continue to play at a high level in the CIS.
“We want to get players with their teammates, with their coaches, develop them and give them an opportunity to get better and do that in a competitive environment. So we’ll be doing everything to make that work.”
For the latest on the WHL’s return to play, be sure to visit their website at WHL.ca
