Warriors general manager Alan Millar was on The Rod Pedersen Show earlier this week and chatted with Rod and co-host Darren Dupont about the entire situation, shedding some light on where things currently are with regards to the Jan. 8 start date and what fans might see when the puck is dropped.
First and foremost, capacity at Mosaic Place
Currently the plan remains to have 50 per cent capacity at WHL rinks with social distancing, which means spacing in all directions, side-to-side and front-to-back. It could follow a similar model to what’s currently seen at Moose Jaw AAA Warriors games, only covering the entire arena instead of just the east-side stands.
“Fifty per cent capacity and 50 per cent capacity with social distancing are two different things, but that’s what all our teams are working with, the best way to get as many fans in the building as we can, with health and safety in mind and the support of the government and health authorities,” Millar said. “They’ve been very supportive and great to work with our teams and our league office.”
Mosaic Place capacity is 4,414 without standing room, meaning around 2,200 fans could be allowed in the building if social distancing can be maintained. That would be on top of other potential precautions, including mandatory masks, directed foot traffic with fans entering at one entrance and leaving at another and limited activity on the concourse.
The Warriors have updated season ticket holders with further information, including if and when tickets may go on sale -- the team continues to wait until capacity information is confirmed before making such a move -- and other frequently asked questions.
Through it all, though, Millar told Pedersen that there’s been plenty of support from the community.
“I can say from our staff’s involvement here in Moose Jaw, working through this pandemic and what this season looks like and understanding the challenges financially and understanding the capacity of the building, our fans want to see us make it work and our corporate sponsors want to see us make it work,” Millar said.
“The feedback has been extremely supportive on helping us grind out a difficult year and we’re appreciative of that.”
Millar also touched on the current situation with body checking being potentially banned in the Ontario Hockey League.
“I think there’s been some comments made, some statements made a little bit too early in the process and I think the OHL will work diligently to return with contact,” Millar told Pedersen. “We haven’t had that conversation yet, I sit on the competitions committee in our league and that’s not something that’s come up in our league or with the health authorities we’ve been dealing with. So hopefully by the time we get to the new year we’re playing as normally as we can.”
You can check out Millar’s complete interview -- which also touches on Team Canada preparations -- by clicking right here, or by simply visiting the Rod Pedersen Show website at rodpedersen.com.
